Russia's Rapidly Evaporating Space Program
Russia slashes space funding by 30 pct as crisis weighs, Reuters
“Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev agreed to slash funding for Russia’s space programme by 30 percent on Thursday, an effort to reign in state spending in the face of a deepening economic crisis. Approving a plan submitted by Russian space agency Roscosmos in January, Medvedev ordered Russia’s space programme budget for 2016-2025 to be cut from 2 trillion roubles ($29.24 billion) to 1.4 trillion roubles.”
– Large Budget Cuts To Russia’s Space Program, earlier post
– Russian Space Follies, earlier post
– Earlier Russia news
I’m thinking of a remark made by one of the panelists at the SETIcon II convention a couple years ago about space programs are good for showing off a country’s technological prowess. Unlike using military i.e. USAF Space Command probably not a good idea as they want to keep their capabilities quiet.
With that analogy maybe this report is indicator of a collapsing technological capability of Russia. Others may say it is adjusting their priorities but I read here and there of growing problems though Putin puts on a good show.
Then we look at ourselves arguing over commercial space, SLS, RD-180s, etc.
Space programs develop that technical acumen as well as show it off.
Look at the new, very small, university-driven space programs springing up in Africa for some inspiration. Every graduate student they produce with space skills, even balloon or ground telescope-based, is that much more technical than he or she would otherwise be.
And soon, NASA’s Soyuz subsidy will go away as the commercial crew companies start flying and so NASA will no longer need them after 2018. With its resources, Russia could be a great country – too bad its become a kleptocracy.
Happens to the best of us.
Wait a minute – Russia’s space program has been $29.24 billion? That does not seem credible, given NASA’s budget in recent years of between 16 to 18 billion . However, I could be convinced if this includes all the military as well as their spy activities. I somehow don’t think their military or spy agencies will take this kind of hit though. So something doesn’t add up.
$29.4 was the 10 year budget.
So, Roscosmos now gets 2 billion a year instead of 3 billion? If so then NASA’s budget is EIGHT or NINE TIMES their budget?
Yep – though Roscosmos probably has better purchasing power due to their currency being weak – though less due to corruption and graft.
And so the great Russian nation again stumbles. Russia should be our material and intellectual equal in every regard– they have the brains and they have the resources. There is gargantuan pathos here.
It’s a human tragedy.
Freedom makes the difference. I hope that we can hang on to ours.
Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen….
If NASA had to take a 30% or 6 billion dollar hit and half of that was the space side it would be 3 billion or the loss of SLS and Orion.