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1st LD Writethru: Russia reforms federal space agency into state space corporation

Xinhua, December 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree abolishing the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, starting Jan. 1within the framework of the country's space sector reform, the Kremlin said Monday on its official website.

The functions of the agency will be assumed by the state corporation with the same name, Roscosmos, set up by a law signed by Putin in July.

The Roscosmos State Corporation will also take over the functions of the United Rocket and Space Corporation and thus become the sole agency responsible for research, development and use of outer space.

The newly-created corporation will manage space operations and implement the regulatory control accordingly. It will also be responsible for international activities in the field of space research and use.

Russian authorities expect the new organization to help consolidate relevant government and business structures, simplify operation and monitoring mechanisms, and solve existing problems in the industry.

A reform plan to modernize Russia's space industry was approved by Putin in January 2013, while Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev proposed the creation of a new organization in the space sector to Putin in January. Endi