Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome Has Big Problems
Blow for new cosmodrome as officials say first manned launch is still a decade away, Siberian Times
“A 2007 presidential decree had set 2018 as this target date for manned launched and it was echoed in repeated statements from officials until recently. It was reported that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and the head of the Russian Space Agency Igor Komarov managed to persuade Vladimir Putin to adjust the date of manned launches. The reasons were not spelled out, and it was unclear if financial considerations were behind the delay. Space agency spokesman Mikhail Fadeyev made clear the change of plan in stating: ‘The first manned flight from the Vostochny Cosmodrome is scheduled for 2025 with an Angara-AV5 rocket, according to the federal space programme.’ The move reflected the ‘founding principle of Vostochny as an innovative cosmodrome’, he claimed. Under the plan, the first test flight of the Angara-A5B is scheduled for 2023, while the rocket’s first unmanned flight is slated for 2024.”
– More Negative Progress at Vostochny Cosmodrome, earlier post
– Vostochny Cosmodrome First Launch Slips 3 Years, earlier post
– Man Driving Diamond-encrusted Mercedes Caught Embezzling Cosmodrome Funds, earlier post
Now if only we could stop funding their space program all together. Pity Congress rather we didn’t though.
Russia is going through some very difficult economic times owing chiefly to reliance on sale of her natural resources; chiefly among those plundered, although other minerals and lumber are exploited, are oil and gas, prices for which are nearing historic lows.
You can thank the cowboys in the Dakotas.
” Man Driving Diamond-encrusted Mercedes Caught Embezzling Cosmodrome Funds”. For NASA, it’s diamond-encrusted Powerpoint presenations that waste funding. 😉