I've made some statistics abut Soviet/Russian launches :http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr/t18808-statistiques-des-lancements-russesIf you look at the last graphic at the bottom of this page, you can see that the main reason for the decrease is that they have no more film-return capsules.Another reason is the increase of satcoms' life duration.
The data are from ... this marvellous site, nasaspaceflight.com:https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=17568.msg1171855#msg1171855("Information about Proton rocket", table "Briz-M Baikonur delivery dates" compiled by Stan Black)
Quote from: ZachF on 12/08/2017 01:30 pm...The Soviet Union/Russia has been on one long decline since 1970. Note: (Source:UN)...Thank you for the data. And yes, the general correlation is clear, as the attached graph illustrates.I'd like to play with more detailed figures - could you please give the link to the source of your numbers ?QuoteThe run-up in oil prices from 2002-2013 masked a lot of the inefficiencies and bloat in their system. Much of the profit from the resource sector was pilfered by oligarchs and sent into Swiss bank accounts rather than rebuilding/upgrading old soviet infrastructure, or general economic improvement. Russia now has dutch disease, and relies on digging stuff out of the ground to purchase more complicated products/services from abroad. The eventual transfer to electric cars and away from fossil fuels will only hurt them more.- well, that's true, but it is pretty general true.I hope to find more specifics with more detailed economic numbers. That's why I'm asking for the source.
...The Soviet Union/Russia has been on one long decline since 1970. Note: (Source:UN)...
The run-up in oil prices from 2002-2013 masked a lot of the inefficiencies and bloat in their system. Much of the profit from the resource sector was pilfered by oligarchs and sent into Swiss bank accounts rather than rebuilding/upgrading old soviet infrastructure, or general economic improvement. Russia now has dutch disease, and relies on digging stuff out of the ground to purchase more complicated products/services from abroad. The eventual transfer to electric cars and away from fossil fuels will only hurt them more.
Quote from: Nicolas PILLET on 12/09/2017 02:43 pmI've made some statistics abut Soviet/Russian launches :http://www.forum-conquete-spatiale.fr/t18808-statistiques-des-lancements-russesIf you look at the last graphic at the bottom of this page, you can see that the main reason for the decrease is that they have no more film-return capsules.Another reason is the increase of satcoms' life duration.Thanks for these graphics!Looks like they made up some of the drop-off by taking a significant share of the word's commercial launches (starting around 1998-2000) -- just when Delta iv and Atlas v were planning to support flight rate with commercial launches. Now, their commercial flight rate is collapsing and with it the much-needed cash flow into the space launch industry. This loss combined with the country's budget woes is a double hit to space industry, triple if you include the soon-to-be discontinued US-funded crew flights (vols habites). Don't see any of these diseases getting cured soon.
Take those and the commercial launches away and you're down a lot.
Quote from: ZachF on 12/10/2017 05:24 pmTake those and the commercial launches away and you're down a lot.Of course.Take commercial and ISS launches away from SpaceX's manifest and you're down a lot, too.
Quote from: Nicolas PILLET on 12/11/2017 11:31 amQuote from: ZachF on 12/10/2017 05:24 pmTake those and the commercial launches away and you're down a lot.Of course.Take commercial and ISS launches away from SpaceX's manifest and you're down a lot, too.The difference being though is that a large number of the ISS manned seats are being taken away from Soyuz and given to SpaceX and Boeing. From 2006 to 2018 NASA paid Russia a little over $3.36 billion and over $500 million a year on average for 2017 and 2018. Beginning in 2019, a good chunk of that $500 million a year will be going to buy seats on Dragon II and pumping up SpaceXs bottom line instead of Roscosmos. Given the Russian civilian space program budget is only a little over $2 billion a year, losing the manned ISS business is a huge financial blow for the program.http://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-cost-per-soyuz-seat-2016-9