Putin, "Astronaut Salaries to Increase by Over 50%... Will Lead the Space Sector"

60th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's First Spaceflight
Putin Emphasizes "Space and Nuclear Fields Are Directly Linked to National Defense"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized the importance of space development and reportedly ordered a salary increase of more than 50% for Russian astronauts. President Putin stressed that attracting talented personnel in the space development sector must continue, highlighting that the space sector, along with the nuclear sector, is directly linked to national defense.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS on the 12th (local time), on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight, President Putin attended a space sector development meeting and stated, "Those who have already been to space and hold positions will receive a salary increase of more than 50%, and the reserve astronauts currently in training will have their wages increased by more than 70%." He emphasized, "The space and nuclear sectors are issues directly related to national defense, and Russia must maintain its status as a leading country in nuclear weapons and space."

Putin’s announcement of the salary increase for astronauts is interpreted as a statement to emphasize the urgent need to attract more highly skilled personnel amid fierce competition in the space sector among major powers such as the United States and China. According to Russian government statistics, there are currently about 50,000 young space sector workers under the age of 35 in Russia. President Putin instructed the government, "We must strive to attract more young people to the space sector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.