Russia says it’s going to beat Elon Musk and SpaceX’s ‘old tech’ with a nuclear rocket
Just one potential Russian broken dream of many.
Several plans have been laid out by Russian space companies for “taking back” space leadership. In this case, noting SpaceX’s successful use of existing technologies to have its rockets do what no other national industry has been able to do, should maybe be a template. Although I suppose plans for nuclear-powered rockets are about as old, making the statements from these Russians unintentionally ironic. Or maybe they’re hoping no one will notice?
The bit that nearly made me spit-take was “that Elon Musk and SpaceX pose no real threat…”
Not because this statement isn’t true–it is–but because the “real threat” is inside Russia. Russia’s launch vehicle manufacturers increasingly seem to have difficulty fielding just “traditional” new launch vehicles, such as the Angara, or even updated Protons.
I see no reason, based on current information, for this situation to change within the next few years, especially concerning plans for Russian reusable nuclear rockets.
Humans could be heading to Mars in 25 years, NASA says
Three cheers! Our very ambitious civil space agency is aiming to get to Mars about NINETEEN YEARS after Musk said SpaceX will do this?
Check, please!
Rocket Lab launch in New Zealand brings quick, cheap space access
This is a good thing. The first commercial launch of an Electron rocket. From New Zealand.
Notice, the advertised price for an Electron launch has gone up from $4.9 million to $5.7 million. And while launching the rocket itself is “cheap” compared to launching a SpaceX Falcon 9, the price per kilogram for satellites aboard the Electron is much higher than for satellites launching with the Falcon 9.
I wonder how long it will be before certain Europeans and Russians start attributing Rocket Lab’s success because of government funding? You know–because that charge has never been leveled at other successful space launch service providers in the U.S.
So Cool! Japanese Space Research Center will be Suspended Over a Moonlike Crater
Seriously! If this research center gets built, I’ll be visiting Japan to hopefully get a tour of the place.
Vandenberg was poised to be a space shuttle launch site — then tragedy struck
I used to be a base tour guide at Vandenberg when I was very young. One of the areas we took tourists to was Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) where the space shuttle was supposed to have launched from (but never did). At the time, one of the more interesting, if unlikely, explanations given for why the shuttle never launched from there was something called the “Chumash Curse.”
But that explanation went to the wayside when Boeing first launched and United Launch Alliance continued to launch from that site since 2006.
Russian space leader suggests engineers test spacecraft Stalin’s way
Aaand, more great news for Russian space industrialists.
Imagine the fellow at the head of the table suggesting firing a machine gun at a space capsule, containing a living person, as a way to test the capsule’s reliability. Imagine not knowing if that fellow is joking. Imagine knowing the fellow could make it happen.
Be like…
The Mad Spaceball 