While the current White House discussions with Russia regarding its invasion of Ukraine has already raised some eyebrows, the Ukrainian newspaper The Kyiv Independent has reported that Russia appears to be making a separate offer to Elon Musk.
The newspaper reports that Russia has offered Mr. Musk a “small-sized nuclear power plant” for a future mission to Mars. Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, called Mr. Musk a “great visionary.”
The newspaper also notes that Mr. Dmitriev has plans for a set of separate talks with Mr. Musk, stating:
Russia seeks cooperation with Musk’s SpaceX company in developing Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, and state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom.
Given that both President Trump and Mr. Musk need constant praise, it seems the Russians know who to push the buttons of both men. Of course, the Starlink system assisting the Ukranian military has been a Russian irritant from the very beginning, so you can assume any offer to Mr. Musk will come with a price tag.
Of course, maybe it makes sense to send Mr. Musk and his DOGE team to Russia now to assist with the restructuring of Roscosmos. That may be the best way to save NASA from his “vision” while ensuring Russia will not be a competitor for a very long time.
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