Moscow: Russia is set to develop a

nuclear-propelled spaceship for the future lunar and

inter-planetary missions, a top Russian space official said on Wednesday.

"We have developed a design for a manned spacecraft

powered by a nuclear engine," Chief of Russian Federal Space

Agency Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov said.

Speaking at a meeting of the presidential commission

on the modernisation of the Russian economy, Perminov said the

design of the spacecraft would be finalised by 2012 and would

require further financing of USD 580 million over next nine

years.

He said the development of Megawatt-class nuclear

space propulsion systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was

crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a

competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration

of the Moon and Mars.

Quoting President of Russian Academy of Cosmonautics

Anatoly Koroteyev, government-run new agency RIA Novosti said

the key scientific and technical problem in sending manned

missions to the Moon and Mars was behind the development of

new propulsion systems and energy supplies with a high ratio

of energy-mass efficiency.

"The current capabilities of the Russian space

industry are clearly insufficient either to set up a permanent

base on the Moon or accomplish an independent manned mission

to Mars," Koroteyev said.

Bureau Report