In Brief:

(CNN) -- Russia plans to launch at least 14 booster rockets into space during the remainder of the year, Russian space officials said this week.

Already in 2000, the nation's cosmodromes have launched eight booster rockets, placing 13 satellites into orbit, according to a space program manager quoted by the Interfax news agency.

Six of the rockets were launched from Baikonur in Kazakstan and two from Plesetsk in Russia.

It was one of the busiest periods of space launches since the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991, he said.

From staff reports

(CNN) -- A NASA F-18 aircraft was damaged during an emergency landing this week at Edwards Air Force Base, California, the space agency said.

The pilot did not suffer any injuries and safely exited the aircraft after landing, according to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

A nearby Air Force F-16 joined up with the NASA airplane and the military pilot confirmed that the right main landing gear on the space agency aircraft had not deployed properly.

The NASA pilot then made an emergency landing, using an emergency barrier at the end of the runway to stop the plane, according to NASA.

The F-18 sustained damage to its right wing and landing gear as it came to a stop.

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