Stagnation fears haunt Russian space program
Stagnation haunts Russian space program.
Stagnation haunts Russian space program.
Tag: Russia
Stagnation fears haunt Russian space program
Russian Spaceship ‘Gagarin’ Arrives at Space Station
Russian spaceship “Gagarin” arrives at ISS.
Russian spaceship “Gagarin” arrives at ISS.
Russia Speeds Up Moon, Mars Plans as U.S. May Cut Spending
Russia is accelerating its space program.
“It is the first time that the government has allocated decent financing to us,” Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said in a phone interview on April 2. The agency’s $3.5 billion budget for 2011 has almost tripled since 2007, reaching the highest since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. “We can now advance on all themes a bit,” Perminov said.
Unlike 50 years ago, when beating the U.S. into space marked a geopolitical victory in the Cold War, Russia is focusing on the commercial, technological and scientific aspects of space travel. President Dmitry Medvedev has named aerospace one of five industries the government plans to nurture to help diversify the economy of the world’s largest energy supplier away from resource extraction.
Russia is accelerating its space program.
“It is the first time that the government has allocated decent financing to us,” Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said in a phone interview on April 2. The agency’s $3.5 billion budget for 2011 has almost tripled since 2007, reaching the highest since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. “We can now advance on all themes a bit,” Perminov said.
Unlike 50 years ago, when beating the U.S. into space marked a geopolitical victory in the Cold War, Russia is focusing on the commercial, technological and scientific aspects of space travel. President Dmitry Medvedev has named aerospace one of five industries the government plans to nurture to help diversify the economy of the world’s largest energy supplier away from resource extraction.
Astronauts head to ISS on spaceship Gagarin
Three astronauts were launched to ISS today in a Soyuz capsule the Russians have named Gagarin, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of his flight on April 12.
Three astronauts were launched to ISS today in a Soyuz capsule the Russians have named Gagarin, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of his flight on April 12.
Russia’s western spaceport to be ready for first launch by 2015
Russia’s launch capability continues to expand: Not only will they be able to launch rockets from French Guiana this year, it looks like Russia’s western spaceport will be ready for its first launch by 2015.
Russia’s launch capability continues to expand: Not only will they be able to launch rockets from French Guiana this year, it looks like Russia’s western spaceport will be ready for its first launch by 2015.
NASA Endeavour Shuttle Launch Delayed
The Daily Beast reports today that the last flight of the shuttle Endeavour has been delayed due to a schedule conflict with a Russian Progress freighter.
Note that this has not yet been confirmed by NASA.
Update from spaceref: NASA has rescheduled Endeavour’s launch for April 29.
The Daily Beast reports today that the last flight of the shuttle Endeavour has been delayed due to a schedule conflict with a Russian Progress freighter.
Note that this has not yet been confirmed by NASA.
Update from spaceref: NASA has rescheduled Endeavour’s launch for April 29.
Comparing the Earth, as seen by Russian and American satellites
Comparing the view of Earth, interpreted differently by Russian and American satellites.
Comparing the view of Earth, interpreted differently by Russian and American satellites.
114 Pictures Of The Past Meeting The Present
Russia and Israel agree on cooperation in outer space
Not bigots: Russia and Israel have agreed on a framework for cooperating in outer space.
Not bigots: Russia and Israel have agreed on a framework for cooperating in outer space.
A new Russian rocket
Russians set date for next Soyuz launch to ISS
The Russians have set the new date, April 5, for next manned Soyuz launch to ISS.
The Russians have set the new date, April 5, for next manned Soyuz launch to ISS.
The first death in space
The first death in space.
The first death in space.
The first spacewalk
An evening pause: Forty-six years ago today Alexei Leonov became the first man to walk in space. This Soviet-era film shows practically the entire event, using footage from two cameras. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Russian and it is not subtitled. I’d love it if someone out there could provide a translation.
Several things to note as you watch:
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Treasures of the Soviet Union’s space industry
Treasures from the Soviet Union’s space history.
Treasures from the Soviet Union’s space history.
Russians raise the ticket price on a Soyuz again, from $56 to $63 million per ride
Those private companies better get cracking! The Russians have raised their ticket price again, from $56 to $63 million per astronaut ride on a Soyuz.
Those private companies better get cracking! The Russians have raised their ticket price again, from $56 to $63 million per astronaut ride on a Soyuz.
Russia Delays Launch of Soyuz Capsule to Space Station
Problems going up and going down: Not only are there issues with the Soyuz capsule that is scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday, a problem in the communications system of the next Soyuz capsule has caused the Russians to delay its launch by at least one week.
Problems going up and going down: Not only are there issues with the Soyuz capsule that is scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday, a problem in the communications system of the next Soyuz capsule has caused the Russians to delay its launch by at least one week.
Soyuz TMA-M ballistic return possible
The return of a crew from ISS on Wednesday via a new upgraded Soyuz capsule might have problems.
The return of a crew from ISS on Wednesday via a new upgraded Soyuz capsule might have problems.
Sergei Korolev: the rocket genius behind Yuri Gagarin
Sergei Korolev: the rocket genius behind Yuri Gagarin.
Sergei Korolev: the rocket genius behind Yuri Gagarin.
Russian Satellite Nearly Collided with Korean Weather Satellite
A Russian military satellite nearly collided with a Korean weather satellite earlier this week.
A Russian military satellite nearly collided with a Korean weather satellite earlier this week.
Russia lacks enough rockets to fulfill 2011 launch plans
This is both good and bad: Russia appears to lack enough available rockets to fulfill its 2011 launch plans.
This is both good and bad: Russia appears to lack enough available rockets to fulfill its 2011 launch plans.
Russian spacewalk finishes early
Meanwhile, up on ISS two Russians have successfully completed a five hour spacewalk, getting all their work done early.
Meanwhile, up on ISS two Russians have successfully completed a five hour spacewalk, getting all their work done early.
Astronauts simulate Mars landing
Astronauts on the Russian Mars500 simulated Mars mission simulated a Mars landing on Saturday. Key quote:
Three astronauts on the Mars500 simulated mission will make a simulated walk on the Mars “surface” Monday. After working 30 days on the simulated planet, the crew will then embark on a simulated 240-day return trip to Earth. Officials said the 520-day Mars500 mission is designed to test how humans cope with the physical and mental stresses of a long space flight.
Astronauts on the Russian Mars500 simulated Mars mission simulated a Mars landing on Saturday. Key quote:
Three astronauts on the Mars500 simulated mission will make a simulated walk on the Mars “surface” Monday. After working 30 days on the simulated planet, the crew will then embark on a simulated 240-day return trip to Earth. Officials said the 520-day Mars500 mission is designed to test how humans cope with the physical and mental stresses of a long space flight.
Effort to drill into ancient lake under Antarctica icecap fall short
Wait ’til next year! The Russian effort to drill into Lake Vostok buried under the Antarctica icecap has fallen short by only a hundred feet, stopped by the end of summer.
Wait ’til next year! The Russian effort to drill into Lake Vostok buried under the Antarctica icecap has fallen short by only a hundred feet, stopped by the end of summer.
More secrets of the Soviet N1 Moon rocket
Secrets of the Soviet N1 Moon rocket.
Secrets of the Soviet N1 Moon rocket.
Taking a Soyuz capsule around the moon
If you’re interested, seats are available for a tourist trip around the moon in a Soyuz capsule. And the Russians say the Soyuz is ready to go!
If you’re interested, seats are available for a tourist trip around the moon in a Soyuz capsule. And the Russians say the Soyuz is ready to go!
Crew of simulated Mars mission “arrives on Red Planet”
The crew of a simulated 500 day long Mars mission has reached “Mars orbit” after 8 months of confinement in a facility in Russia.
The crew of a simulated 500 day long Mars mission has reached “Mars orbit” after 8 months of confinement in a facility in Russia.
Russia regains contact with missing military satellite
Russia regains contact with missing military satellite, finds that it was placed in the wrong orbit.
Russia regains contact with missing military satellite, finds that it was placed in the wrong orbit.
Remembering Boris Yeltsin
A monument to Boris Yeltsin was unveiled today in his hometown on the 80th anniversary of his birth.
In this week of memorials to American space tragedies, this event in Russia brings to mind the far more important and significant events, affecting millions of people worldwide, that unfolded in the Soviet Union during the late 1980s and mid-1990s. The communist superpower was collapsing, and there was the real possibility that that collapse could lead to worldwide war and violence.
Yeltsin, far more than any other man, helped shepherd the former Soviet Union out of that chaos, and he did it as a civilized man, with relatively little bloodshed. As he shouted defiantly as he stood on a tank in front of the Russian parliament building on the day of the August coup, “Terror and dictatorship . . . must not be allowed to bring eternal night!”
Unlike many former communist leaders, Yeltsin had the openness of mind to recognize that the state-run centralized command society that he had grown up in and had helped run for years simply did not work. “We have oppressed the human spirit,” he noted sadly during a press conference shortly after the coup. More importantly, he also had the courage to take action on this realization, and force the painful changes that were necessary to save his country.
Yeltsin was no saint, and the Russian transition from dictatorship to freedom was far from perfect. No one even knows if that transition is going to hold, today, twenty years later. Nonetheless, the world should remember Yeltsin for his success, and honor that memory.
Russia loses contact with new military satellite
Russia loses contact with newly launched military satellite.
Russia loses contact with newly launched military satellite.
Another freighter docks with ISS
Another freighter, this time from Russia, docks with ISS.
Another freighter, this time from Russia, docks with ISS.