Russia To Launch Satellite For World Space Observatory

Russia is planning to build and put into orbit a satellite that will lay the foundation for the creation of the World Space Observatory (WSO), a project to explore deep space in the ultraviolet spectrum by 2008, a Russian senior space official said Monday, reports RIA Novosti.

Yury Nosenko, the deputy head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, said Russia had proposed that India and China join the project and that the countries outline their potential contribution by the end of the year.

The official said that if China joined the project, it could place some of its devices on the satellite or supply accessories.

"China is currently making calculations," he said.

The first step in deep space exploration was taken when the U.S.-made Hubble Space Telescope was launched. The WSO, which is being developed by scientists from 16 countries, will be far more efficient, Nosenko said.

Copyright 2005 by Space Daily, Distributed United Press International