Article Posted on : - Mar 13, 2012

A file photo.

MOSCOW (AFP): Russia's space agency intends to send its first manned mission to the Moon and deploy research stations on Mars under an ambitious plan presented to the government this month.

The Kommersant daily said the mission statement from the Roscosmos space agency through 2030 reveals no financial details but includes plans to find outside sources of funding that do not put additional pressures on the budget.

It also sees Russia purchasing a large chunk of its rocket technology from foreign countries in order to catch up with NASA by 2020.

"Notably, the target characteristics of Russian spacecraft will be brought to world levels primarily using foreign elements," the business daily wrote.

Roscosmos has been recently beset by problems that saw its satellites fail to reach orbit and a high-profile Mars mission crash back down to Earth last year.