Good News for US/Russian Space Relations

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos (seal shown above), has been removed from this position. He has been in this position since May 2018. After his endless squabbles with NASA as well as juvenile behavior, relations between the two space agencies now have a chance to heal.

The new head of Roscosmos is Yuri Borisov, who was serving as a deputy prime minister in charge of Russia’s weapons industries. Sources call this a demotion for Mr. Borisov, who has not had luck with the ongoing war in Ukraine.

While Mr. Borisov’s posted credentials show no space program experience, if he can keep his temper in check and focus on space missions then the atmosphere will improve exponentially.

SpaceX and Russia: Shuttle Swaps

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s image of the Boeing Starliner space capsule. (Boeing)

It wasn’t that long ago U.S. astronauts were completely dependent on Russian rockets to get to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA was paying about $60 million per seat on the Soyuz spacecraft. Well, times have certainly changed with SpaceX now ferrying astronauts, Boeing working on its own crewed Starliner capsule, and Northrop Grumman already helping with cargo.

Now NASA is mixing it up. NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos agreed this weak to place astronauts on the Soyuz again and cosmonauts on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Bloomberg reports NASA stated that such mixed crews “ensures there are appropriately trained crew members on board the station for essential maintenance and spacewalks.” In other words, with two launches to the ISS planned in September, a mixing of the crews will ensure some stability in space if only one makes it to the station. Not a bad idea.

Even with all the rhetoric and stunts taking place, it’s nice to see a little bit of common sense prevailing.

European/Russian Rover Coordination Now Dead

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Drawing of the ESA’s ExoMars martian rover called the Rosalind Franklin. (ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to terminate cooperation with Russia on the ExoMars rover mission. The joint mission, planned for September 2022, was suspended earlier this year after Russia invaded Ukraine. The ESA has now cut all links on the project and hopes to work with NASA on some aspects of the mission.

The rover, named the Rosalind Franklin, would be the first European rover to visit Mars. It is designed to explore the surface of Mars as well as collect and analyse samples. The plan is to land the rover at a site with high potential for finding well-preserved organic material, particularly from the very early history of the planet.

Both Covid and the war in Ukraine have delayed the rover mission, but the ESA will see it through, alone if necessary, but hopefully with others. Maybe Russia can be a partner again in the future, but it will need new leadership that knows how to play well with others.

Space Quote: NASA Condemns Russian Political Stunt

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov pose with a flag of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic on the ISS in a photograph released July 4. (Roscosmos via Reuters)

“[NASA] strongly rebukes using the International Space Station for political purposes to support [the] war against Ukraine, which is fundamentally inconsistent with the station’s primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes.”

-NASA statement, as quoted in the Washington Post, regarding the picture of three Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) holding a flag of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic released earlier this month. Russia is probably try to clear up some earlier confusion about the colors worn by these same astronauts back in March (see below). We get it, you represent an aggressive nation preying on its neighbors.

Image (Credit): Russian cosmonauts clothing for their March arrival at the ISS . (Roscosmos)

Space Quote: Not Meeting Russia’s Space Goals

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: CNN

“Every penny should be spent for some purpose and some task…Therefore, we do not just check expenses, we also make sure that the results that were announced in state programs are achieved.”

-Statement by Alexei Kudrin, chairman of Russia’s Accounts Chamber, to Russia’s President Putin regarding the substandard performance of Russia’s space program, as reported in a Newsweek story, “Putin’s Space Chief Clashes With Top Economist Over Russian Space Program.” The invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions have hit the Russian economy and led to the cancellation of various space missions and contracts, and the situation is not expected to get better while Russia spends its time and resources attacking neighbors rather than focusing on its future in space.