Russia’s Space Program Is Struggling Mightily, Slate
“Yet, despite maintaining a presence in space, Roscosmos has been beset with corruption, mismanagement, and crony capitalism that is the hallmark of the larger post-Soviet economy. In a tech sector that needs to meet very high standards, these problems have led the workforce on the ground to cut corners. In the past six years, the Russian space program has seen an abysmal 15 rocket failures. … On top of the onslaught of failures, the sanctions and the precipitous plunge in oil and gas prices have hobbled the Russian economy. In response, the government slashed space spending for the next 10-year cycle by more than half, from $64 billion to $21 billion. As a point of comparison, NASA is expected to spend about $18.8 billion in 2017 alone. The European Space Agency; Japan; and, of course, China spend much more on space annually than the Russians, while the Indians are catching up.”
– Russia Begins To Reduce ISS Participation, earlier post
– Russian Space Follies, earlier post
–ULA Gets A Russian Christmas Gift From Sen. Shelby, earlier post
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The article says, “Yet, despite maintaining a presence in space, Roscosmos has been
beset with corruption, mismanagement, and crony capitalism that is the
hallmark of the larger post-Soviet economy.” Sounds kind of like NASA still in low earth orbit.
Roscosmos has nearly none of the extra responsibilities NASA does.