Russia plans rocket tests and restarting lunar programme

Moscow — Russia has put a brave face on the loss of its space travel monopoly, saying it plans to test two new rockets this year and resume its lunar programme in 2021. The comments from the Russian space agency Roscosmoc came after US entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the world’s first commercial company to put humans into orbit, signalling the dawn of a new era. Russia had for many years enjoyed a monopoly as the only country able to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station, and Saturday’s flawless US launch meant the loss of a sizeable income for Moscow. “We are not...