Russian Space

Progress 63 Lifts Off to ISS, SpaceX CRS-8 is Next

Progress 63 Lifts Off to ISS, SpaceX CRS-8 is Next

The second of three tightly paced supply missions to the International Space Station has lifted off from Baikonour, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz booster carrying the Progress 63 cargo ship lifted off at 11:23:57 CDT (10:23 PM local) carrying 3 tons of food, fuel and supplies. After a 2 day transfer, it will dock with the aft […]

Posted in: Russian Space
Russia Will Conduct First Launch From New Spaceport in April

Russia Will Conduct First Launch From New Spaceport in April

The world’s oldest space power will soon be inaugurating its newest space port.  After a long and troubled development which has frequently drawn the ire and intense scrutiny of Vladimir Putin, Russia is planning to conduct the first launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the nation’s far east in late April. From TASS: MOSCOW, March […]

Posted in: Russian Space
Red Planet Roulette: Russia’s Proton May Have Endangered ExoMars Probe

Red Planet Roulette: Russia’s Proton May Have Endangered ExoMars Probe

When European Space Agency mission controllers received confirmation that the the ExMars probe had successfully separated from the upper stage of the Proton rocket which boosted it to orbit, they no doubt breathed a particularly deep sigh of relief. Everyone had to be aware that the decision to use Russia’s Proton as the launch vehicle, […]

Posted in: Mars, Russian Space
Russia to Slash Space Budget By 30%

Russia to Slash Space Budget By 30%

From playing a vital role in building, staffing, and operating the International Space Station over the last 15 years, to launching the ExoMars probe this week, there is no doubt the Russian space program is a vital, and even indispensable component of the global space exploration infrastructure. According to a report in Reuters with quotes […]

Posted in: Russian Space
A Joint Russian/American Lunar Misson

A Joint Russian/American Lunar Misson

The possibility of a joint U.S./Russian lunar program coming together in the late 2020’s is beginning to look like a viable options for the post ISS era. If by chance national space ambitions are not trumped by NewSpace accomplishments sometime in the next ten years, which is a distinct possibility, budget realities and changing fortunes […]

“3.5 Times Cheaper the US Dragon” Russia’s Space Plan Amid Budget Cuts

“3.5 Times Cheaper the US Dragon” Russia’s Space Plan Amid Budget Cuts

It is far from the best of times for the Russian space program, as budget realities conflict with that nation’s lunar ambitions. Following optimistic projections last year that it was working towards a 2025 launch date for a lunar circumnavigation mission to be carried out by the planned Angara A5B heavy lift vehicle, a draft […]

Posted in: Russian Space
Russian Soyuz 2.1V Fails to Separate Payload

Russian Soyuz 2.1V Fails to Separate Payload

Russia’s Soyuz-U booster, the version which launches crew to ISS may be one of the most reliable rockets in the world, but the other versions bearing the Soyuz name continue to suffer a series of mishaps. On Saturday, Russian conducted the second test launch of a Soyuz 2.1V rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome just under […]

Posted in: Russian Space
Russia’s Lunar Ambitions Following an American Path Not Taken

Russia’s Lunar Ambitions Following an American Path Not Taken

Is Russia following a path the American space program could have taken? A story in the Russian news agency TASS outlines a lunar exploration program which seems to draw on many of the lessons recently learned, but not applied by NASA for its own “Journey to Mars.” The program, which has yet to be funded, […]

Posted in: Moon, Russian Space
Soyuz Thruster “Glitch” Shifts the Space Station’s Position

Soyuz Thruster “Glitch” Shifts the Space Station’s Position

In the latest of what has become a string of incidents, some serious and some minor, for the Russian space program, Roscosmos reported yesterday that a “glitch” with a Soyuz spacecraft attached to the International Space Station resulted in an inadvertent thruster firing. The firing, which took place at 10:27 AM CDT, occurred during a […]

Progress Orbit Correction for ISS Fails

Progress Orbit Correction for ISS Fails

In what is shaping up to be a truly miserably month for the Russian aerospace sector, two Russian news outlets are reporting that Friday’s planned orbit boost of the International Space Station did not take place. According to Sputnik International:  “The Russian Mission Control Center was informed of the fact that the Progress’ engines did […]

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