Russia has renewed its interest in building a base on the Moon, which could be used as the starting point for manned interplanetary flights, renewing its space rivalry with the US.

The US, which beat the Soviet Union to put the first men on the Moon in 1969, announced similar plans, targeting 2020 as the year by which a new manned mission to Earth's satellite.

Russia's goal is to get there by 2025, and launch a manned mission to Mars by 2035, according to remarks by Anatoly Perminov, who head Russia's space agency Roskosmos.

The plans are the latest signs of the revival of Cold Era rivalry between the two superpowers, which Russia can now bankroll thanks to its booming economy.

In recent months, Russia has clashed with the US on plans to deploy an anti-missile shield in eastern Europe, which it sees as a threat, and renewed the flights of long-range bombers near NATO airspace in retaliation.

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