Russian Space News 20-NOV-09 en-us Baikonur, Kazakhstan (RIA Novosti) Nov 10, 2009 - Russia's space corporation Energia is doubling production of manned spacecraft, Energia's president said on Monday. Vitaly Lopota said production of space freighters would increase by 50%.]]> Moscow (AFP) Sept 30, 2009 - Pavel Popovich, a leading figure in the pioneering generation of early cosmonauts and the fourth Soviet man to go to space, died on Wednesday at a sanatorium aged 79, space officials said.]]> Moscow (UPI) Aug 29, 2009 - Europe may buy a Soyuz spacecraft to try to ensure at least one European astronaut heads to space each year, officials say.]]> Moscow (AFP) Aug 25, 2009 - The first launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket from the European Space Agency base at Kourou in French Guiana has been postponed until April 2010, Russia's Progress space programme said Tuesday.]]> Moscow, Russia (RIA Novosti) Aug 19, 2009 - The Russian government will heavily invest in the development of the country's aerospace industry, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.]]> Washington (UPI) May 29, 2009 - The NASA space agency says it has signed a contract extension with its Russian counterpart regarding crew transports to the International Space Station.]]> Moscow (AFP) May 21, 2009 - The maker of Russia's Soyuz rockets said on Thursday it had finished building the first rockets due to be launched from South America pad in cooperation with the European Space Agency.]]> Moscow (RIA Novosti) May 19, 2009 - Russia must strengthen its competitive positions on the global commercial space launch market by expanding its launch facilities and developing new types of carrier rockets, the prime minister said on Monday.]]> Moscow (UPI) May 16, 2009 - A Proton-M rocket carrying a ProtoStar-2 telecommunication satellite was launched from the Baikonur space center Saturday, the Russian space agency said.]]> Moscow (RIA Novosti) Mar 19, 2009 - Russia's new Angara carrier rocket will start test flights in 2011, the rocket's developer said on Wednesday.]]>