April 13, 2006

Space Race II?


Space Race II?

Russia's Skyward Gaze

Russia, powered by the influx of oil dollars, is regaining its space ambitions after a slack decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The country could send a manned mission to the moon by 2015, followed by one to Mars by 2030, according to a statement by Nikolai Sevastianov, head of the Russian space construction company RKK Energia, on the eve of the 45th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering flight on Vostok-1.

Could this be the beginnings of Space Race II? It seems a direct challenge to NASA's plan, presented by President Bush in January 2004, to send American astronauts back to the moon by 2020 and then to Mars and beyond.

To trim costs, Russia's lunar exploration program would rely on Soyuz and Progress spacecrafts in its first phase, while the second phase would see the construction of a $1.5 billion reusable Clipper shuttle. The Clipper should enter service between 2012 and 2015, eventually replacing Soyuz for flights to the International Space Station, while it will be also be used for moon exploration missions, according to Sevastianov. Energia plans to fly six manned missions to the moon (worth $2 billion), and eventually set up a permanent moon base to recover helium-3 for energy use, as resources on Earth are depeleted.

Though Russian government officials have spoken in support of the project, no promises were made. Energia has paid for the preliminary design work on its own, while trying to raise funds elsewhere.

Even in its heyday, Russia's space program operated on a shoestring, in comparison with lavish NASA funding, but even more so after 1991. In 2001-2003, actual state allocations for space exploration fell 26 percent short of the expected budget, preventing completion of seven projects, according to Russian space agency head Anatoly Perminov. In 2005, Russia's space budget stood at around $600 million, as compared to NASA's of $16 billion, AP reported.

Although the Russian government promised boosting space research funding in 2006 (up to $832 million total) and in the coming decade, the Russian space agency still has to find ways to make ends meet. The most common solutions are commercial satellites, space tourists, who pay $20 million per trip, and selling berths on Soyuz spacecraft to U.S. astronauts headed to the International Space Station.

Meanwhile, Russia's recent turn to religion and spirituality has brought ironic changes to Baikonur and beyond.

An Orthodox church was built at Baikonur, the Soviet spaceport in Central Asia, which Russia still uses for launches. A Russian Orthodox priest now blesses rockets and space crews prior to launch, while many cosmonauts take their own icons into orbit.

Along these lines, a Russian astrologist recently sued NASA for $302 million in moral damages following the agency's strike on the Comet Tempel 1, when it was about 83 million miles from Earth. She claimed that the strike "encroached on the system of spiritual and life values, as well as on the natural being of outer space, upsetting the natural balance of forces in the universe." After failing to find support in a Moscow city court, the astrologist is planning an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.


More Space Links

For more information, see:

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955