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Russia Falls Behind In Annual Space Launches For First Time Ever (themoscowtimes.com)
From a report on the Moscow Times: This year, for the first time in history, Russia has fallen behind the United States and China as the world's leading launcher of space rockets. Russia will finish 2016 with just 18 launches, according to open source data, compared to China's 19 and America's 20 launches. Alexander Ivanov, deputy chief of Russia's Roscosmos space agency, said on Nov. 29 that the launch rate has decreased because Moscow's space strategy has changed. Currently, it's top priority is reviving existing and aging satellite groupings. But there are other reasons Russia's launch rate may be falling behind. Since the 1957 launch of Sputnik, the world's first satellite, Russia has been the undisputed leader in annual launch rates -- a figure that spoke to the general health of its space program and aerospace industry. At the peak of the Soviet space program, Russia often launched around 100 rockets a year. Since 1957, Russia has launched over 3,000 rockets -- roughly twice as many as the U.S. But with the Russian economy in crisis, space budgets have plummeted. Funding for the next decade of Russian space activity stands at just 1.4 trillion rubles ($21.5 billion), a figure that was only finalized after three rounds of cuts to proposed funding, which began at 3.4 trillion rubles ($52.3 billion). The U.S. space agency, NASA, received a budget of $19.3 billion in 2016 alone. To make matters worse, Russian rockets are becoming uncharacteristically undependable.
They go 18 launches without a single failure while the US goes 19 and 1 and somehow the Russian rockets are the ones becoming uncharacteristically unreliable?
The Russians have 2 more launches scheduled for December. The US and China should still beat them this year though but the final Russian number will not be 18 launches in 2016.
If I had a nickel for every piece of "NASA's story represents the entirety of the space race/USSR-Russia sucks/Let's pretend that NASA is the only space program" propaganda piece in journalism and pop culture that has come out since 1957, I could fund my own space program that would be better than anybody's.
Yeah, I get it, butthurt Americans are mad that they can no longer send men into space. So they feel the need to come up with any metric to show that NASA is somehow still superior to the Russians, even as they have to beg Russia for rides to ISS.
Americans, still fighting the Cold War long after everyone else went home.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
fUCK YEAH!!
How is this even possible when the US hasn't had a vehicle for getting into space since 2011?
Undependable is a gross exageration, but everyone knows that the Moscow Times is, very curiously, a biased outlet with anti-Russian sentiments, so stuff like that is expected, and of course /. are quick to regurgitate it.
How about re-doing the statistics with manned space launches.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Russia needs to work on its economy and lower unemployment, increase wages and improving the quality of life of all their citizens. Space activities, admirable as they are, should be lower in priority
Yeah, I get it, butthurt Americans are mad that they can no longer send men into space.
Umm, actually most of us aren't all that worried about it. Those of us who care know we've got programs in the works to revive our ability to put humans into space and we knew there would be a bit of a gap. It will get resolved soon enough in all likelihood. The rest simply don't care at all. Maybe a few folks get bent about it but they're a tiny minority.
and it wasn't rusted on the side of the road, or a burned up shard in a tree?
Since 1957, Russia has launched over 3,000 rockets -- roughly twice as many as the U.S.
not all were commercial, the majority were transport ICBMs for nuclear payload. the ones youre concerned with are called Proton rockets. 98 have ever been launched, 10 have failed. an 89% success rate isnt the best, but its cheaper than Falcon 9 and has seen 12 times as much service.
But with the Russian economy in crisis
you cant have it both ways. either russia is evil and must have sanctions imposed upon it by your nation, or russia is a trusted partner in your space program. make up your mind.
The U.S. space agency, NASA, received a budget of $19.3 billion in 2016 alone.
not sure why you mentioned it in the article at all. its still less than the russian budget by 2 billion.
Good people go to bed earlier.
From TFS: Russia has been the undisputed leader in annual launch rates -- a figure that spoke to the general health of its space program and aerospace industry.
It also speaks to the billions of rubles pumped into the programs by the government (not usually seen as a sign of health). It also speaks to the higher failure rate and generally shorter lifespans of the payloads launched.
There may be a bit of truth to that. Trump may relax sanctions on Russia in exchange for a Syrian draw-down or concessions. (Obama appeared to reject such a deal, taking sanction reduction off the Syria table.)
That kind of deal would boost Russia's economy, and give them more tax money for their space program.
Table-ized A.I.
Fortunately, they've been talking to a real estate developer who has a inside line on an investment property that will be 'great again' soon.
Who finances themoscowtimes.com?
Fuck NASA. At least the Russians are going in the right direction.
I'd like America to buy more RD-180 rocket engines. No one else can manufacture a highly reliable, high isp kerosene staged combustion rocket engine at a moderate price. I guess we could use some foreign rockets to reduce demand on the RD-180s.
15! Astronauts went to space last year, on 5 different launches. Worldwide. Rocket reliability is very demanded. Let other nations have that market. Stick astronauts into a dragon, on an Atlas V, if there is a national security issue.
Really. How many *people* have NASA launched this year...
Rocket launches you!!!
**Life is too short to be serious**
Its odd but sometimes I miss the Soviet Union. Seems like the U.S.A. was better for having a strong rival.
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