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#100
by
fregate
on 26 Mar, 2015 02:30
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The latest impact has been the cancellation of any plans for a true heavy lift launch vehicle.
there is also a bright side of this sad story - in theory Proton and Soyuz launches should be more competitive by price.
In theory, but it is likely that prices for these are in US dollars and unchanged. It would be nice if I were wrong, since SpaceX is cleaning their clock right now.
Of course, fixed contracts like for NASA astronaut rides on Soyuz should be very lucrative for Russia now.
So lucrative that Roscosmos is ready to sell a 6 month flight seat to a tourist in order to improve a budget bottom line
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#101
by
Danderman
on 01 Apr, 2015 16:14
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http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/nasa-gets-sucked-in-to-russian-space-agencys-fight-for-funds/518339.htmlRoscosmos chief Igor Komarov on Saturday suggested that Russia and the United States would join together to build another space station after the current International Space Station (ISS) project ends in 2024.
Komarov's announcement on Saturday may have been an attempt to influence government decision-making as he presides over a
complete rewrite of the Federal Space Program 2016-2025 — a key planning document that will lay out Russia's activities in space over the next decade.
The program was supposed to be submitted to the government last year, but
Russia's economic crisis has forced officials to gut the original proposal and take a careful look at what is actually achievable.
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#102
by
catdlr
on 23 Apr, 2015 00:50
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#103
by
Danderman
on 29 Dec, 2015 12:36
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The impact of the ruble crash has been to kill Russian lunar plans for the time being.
One scenario for later this century is while America goes to Mars, Russia explores the Moon, much as Russia launched space stations when NASA explored the Moon.
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#104
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 30 Dec, 2015 05:11
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One scenario for later this century is while America goes to Mars, Russia explores the Moon, much as Russia launched space stations when NASA explored the Moon.
Well, that was the public view. In secret, the Soviets were also trying to go the Moon, but failed.
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#105
by
davey142
on 30 Dec, 2015 21:46
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Let's face it people, Putin might have rescued Russia from the worst of the Yeltsin days, but he was caught by the same trap that gets so many countries : the Russian economy was not diversified. I expect when oil rebounds Russian space plans will flourish, when oil tanks, the programs get cut. Now, in my opinion, running a space program based on the spot price contracts for oil is less than optimal.
I suspect that Ruble value vs. Dollars has little to do with it. As far as I can tell, Russian space is not the one that's importing goods and services from its supposed "geopolitical rival." If anything, cheaper Rubles means American companies and NASA spend less buying RD-180s and Soyuz seats and Russian companies get more Rubles for every Dollar. The problem seems to be sanctions and oil prices. I guess long rooted domestic problems also play a factor.
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#106
by
Rocket Science
on 30 Dec, 2015 21:54
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#107
by
Rebel44
on 15 Jan, 2016 23:01
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Russian government announced another 10% budget cuts to everything except "sacred cows" (pensions, employee salaries and security apparatus).
If oil price stays low for longer, further cuts will be needed (at which point Russian space program might be reduced to Powerpoint presentations).
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#108
by
faramund
on 17 Jan, 2016 05:36
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Let's face it people, Putin might have rescued Russia from the worst of the Yeltsin days, but he was caught by the same trap that gets so many countries : the Russian economy was not diversified. I expect when oil rebounds Russian space plans will flourish, when oil tanks, the programs get cut. Now, in my opinion, running a space program based on the spot price contracts for oil is less than optimal.
I suspect that Ruble value vs. Dollars has little to do with it. As far as I can tell, Russian space is not the one that's importing goods and services from its supposed "geopolitical rival." If anything, cheaper Rubles means American companies and NASA spend less buying RD-180s and Soyuz seats and Russian companies get more Rubles for every Dollar. The problem seems to be sanctions and oil prices. I guess long rooted domestic problems also play a factor.
I'm not sure Putin rescued Russia from anything, although I grant that Yeltsin turned into a clown. The rise and fall of the Russian space program, or Russian influence, seem to have more to do with the price of oil, then anything else.
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#109
by
Lars-J
on 18 Jan, 2016 16:53
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Let's face it people, Putin might have rescued Russia from the worst of the Yeltsin days, but he was caught by the same trap that gets so many countries : the Russian economy was not diversified. I expect when oil rebounds Russian space plans will flourish, when oil tanks, the programs get cut. Now, in my opinion, running a space program based on the spot price contracts for oil is less than optimal.
Oil prices have gone up and down since Putin took office, but has high oil prices ever actually caused a lot of Russian space funding? I've seen lots of empty promises, but the big budgets never seem to materialize.
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#110
by
Nicolas PILLET
on 18 Jan, 2016 17:35
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I've seen lots of empty promises, but the big budgets never seem to materialize.
They made Angara, Vostochnyi, Spektr-R, numerous comsat and observation satellites, Soyuz-2.1v, etc.
But yes, if you are waiting for a manned flight to Jupiter, you are likely to be disappointed !
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#111
by
Lars-J
on 18 Jan, 2016 17:43
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I've seen lots of empty promises, but the big budgets never seem to materialize.
They made Angara, Vostochnyi, Spektr-R, numerous comsat and observation satellites, Soyuz-2.1v, etc.
But yes, if you are waiting for a manned flight to Jupiter, you are likely to be disappointed !
I'll give you Vostochnyi, but the Angara development has been going on for two decades. And as far as the rest, nobody has claimed that Russian space work stops completely when funds are low.
But hey, if you want to completely blow off my statement, and you *DO* think that the Russian space program is well funded during high oil prices, then go ahead. Some numbers would to back it up would be welcome.
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#112
by
Prober
on 18 Jan, 2016 17:49
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this story just popped up on Yahoo
Russia catches senior engineer on delayed space pad project 'taking bribe'http://news.yahoo.com/russia-catches-senior-engineer-delayed-space-pad-project-145339118.html"The FSB security service arrested the engineer overseeing road construction materials at the site on suspicion of taking a 50,000-ruble ($632) bribe from contractors, the Investigative Committee of the far eastern Amur region where the project is located said in a statement."
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#113
by
SLC17A5
on 18 Jan, 2016 18:49
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Presumably he was admonished for taking such a small bribe, and released after paying a bribe.
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#114
by
Nicolas PILLET
on 18 Jan, 2016 19:20
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But hey, if you want to completely blow off my statement, and you *DO* think that the Russian space program is well funded during high oil prices, then go ahead. Some numbers would to back it up would be welcome.
During decade 2006-2015, every rouble promised by the Federal Space Program has been given to Roscosmos. This amount of money is somewhat equivalent to the French space budget. After 2009, when oil prices went high, Government decided to fund Vostochnyi development with a new budget, independant from the Federal Space Program.
I don't know what "well funded" means. Is Russian space program less funded than US space program ? Yes. Is the Russian space budget in accordance with Russia's financial capabilities ? Yes.
PS : Sorry if I have offensed you. My goal was to give an opinion, not to hurt anyone.
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#115
by
Prober
on 20 Jan, 2016 15:14
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#116
by
rpapo
on 20 Jan, 2016 15:52
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Even more telling is the attached graph (courtesy of Google). It may be getting cheap for us to buy Russian, but it sure must be hard on the people there.
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#117
by
Lars-J
on 20 Jan, 2016 21:52
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But hey, if you want to completely blow off my statement, and you *DO* think that the Russian space program is well funded during high oil prices, then go ahead. Some numbers would to back it up would be welcome.
During decade 2006-2015, every rouble promised by the Federal Space Program has been given to Roscosmos. This amount of money is somewhat equivalent to the French space budget. After 2009, when oil prices went high, Government decided to fund Vostochnyi development with a new budget, independant from the Federal Space Program.
I don't know what "well funded" means. Is Russian space program less funded than US space program ? Yes. Is the Russian space budget in accordance with Russia's financial capabilities ? Yes.
My point was merely that even in "good times", the Russian space program operates with shoe string budget - compared to what they are trying to get done with the funds they are given. Even in good times the workers are underpaid and facilities deteriorate.
Yes, it may be close to the French budget in actual funds, but they are certainly trying to do more with it. Are they stretching themselves too thin? Perhaps, but they are understandably weary of cutting back capabilities.
It is encouraging to see the investment in new sites (Vostochnyi) and LVs (Angara), and hopefully that will continue.
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#118
by
Prober
on 21 Jan, 2016 15:17
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Even more telling is the attached graph (courtesy of Google). It may be getting cheap for us to buy Russian, but it sure must be hard on the people there.
I hate turning on my screen and seeing the news.
(3hrs ago posted)
Russian ruble keeps on falling, hits new record low http://finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-ruble-continues-falling-hits-081757605.html"The ruble traded above 85 to the dollar for the first time in Moscow early Thursday afternoon, a fall of more than three percent, which beat the previous low of 82.4 to the dollar set in trading Wednesday evening. It later recovered slightly to trade around 84.2."
Also Thursday, the Russian central bank said it had revoked the license of Vneshprombank, one of the country's top 50 lenders, after finding evidence that "persons exercising control over the bank" had stripped its assets, adding that law enforcement would be involved in tracking the missing money. The funds may have been spent in Russia, Europe and the U.S. on property such as real estate, shares and "expensive vehicles," the central bank said in a statement.
Vneshprombank reportedly holds funds for
major Russian state companies.
Does this bank have any "interests" in space enterprises? This could be a major hit if so
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#119
by
Danderman
on 21 Jan, 2016 15:59
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I've seen lots of empty promises, but the big budgets never seem to materialize.
They made Angara, Vostochnyi, Spektr-R, numerous comsat and observation satellites, Soyuz-2.1v, etc.
But yes, if you are waiting for a manned flight to Jupiter, you are likely to be disappointed !
No one is saying that the Russians have done nothing in the last 10 years. The issue is that there have been promises of lunar and Mars missions and giant launchers over the last 10 years which were not going to happen even with higher oil prices.
I would be happy if the Russians can hold their program together over the next 10 years, let along go to the Moon.
One of the issues is that there has been a failure to incorporate private capital into the space sector, which creates a single point failure mode if the government cuts funding. Even when the larger aerospace firms invest, that capital comes from the government.
