Putin: 'Russia Will Go To Moon, Space Exploration Can Unite Us'

President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Russia plans on advancing its space program, including sending a manned mission to the moon.

Speaking with Russian cosmonauts on Thursday for Cosmonautics Day, Putin was asked if a manned lunar mission was in Russia's plans.

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"Yes, it is," the president replied. "As you may know the program extends up to 2030… The finishing touches are being put to the spacecraft Federatsiya and research and development is on for building a super-heavy rocket to be used for the lunar program, so there can be no doubts we will be working actively and implementing this program.

"A moon orbiter will come first, then modules on the moon itself will emerge. At least that's what the plans are."

Putin, who also plans on sending an unmanned mission to Mars next year, emphasized that research and development on space programs will continue despite sanctions imposed by the United States and declining relations between the two nations.

"This is in the interests of everyone, of the whole of humanity. It's a sphere of activity that can unite us," he said.

The former Soviet Union was once a leader in space technology development, but that stalled during the economic downturn of the late Soviet Union and early years of the Russian Federation. Recent economic growth in Russia, as well as cooperation with China, has enabled a reopening of the space frontier.

The United States currently relies on Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, to transport equipment and people to the International Space Station, but the rise of private space exploration by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Boeing are looking to end this dependence.

Cosmonautics Day celebrates the first manned spaceflight on April 12, 1961 by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.