Russian spaceprogram 50 years afterGagarin
April 2011
* Materials disseminated by Ketchum Inc. on behalf of the Russian Federation. Additional information regarding the dissemination of these materials can be obtained at the Department of Justice.
2
Russian space program 50 years after Gagarin
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first man to travel into outer space. Fifty years later, Russia’s spaceindustry has come a long way from that initial 89-minute voyage. Through constant innovation, the Russianspace program has grown from performing scientific experiments, to servicing the space station Mir, and nowto commercial satellite launches and space tourism. Below are some key facts about this industry, which is akey driver of innovation for Russia and the world.
A
G
LOBAL
L
EADER IN
S
PACE
•
Outer space has remained a preeminent focus in Russia, regardless of the economic situation.Vladimir Putin told the Russian space program leaders in July 2010: “The space rocket field has been
one of the state's priorities since its inception. Space has always occupied a special place for us, and Ihope it will continue to do so. And so, despite the difficulties we face because of the downturn, thespace sector received all the money originally allocated, in accordance with the approved programs.”
•
Speaking with the crew of the International Space Station last year, President Dmitry Medvedev
emphasized “that space is one of our five big national technological modernisation priorities. This sumsup completely the importance we place on (it).”
•
On April 5, 2011, Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Bloomberg “We are increasing the space
budget as the time has come for a technological breakthrough”, adding that, “We need to replaceoutdated infrastructure and continue to support the flagship status of the space industry.”
•
According to the 2011 launch schedule,50 Russian spacecraft will be launched, and a federal program
for the management of the GLONASS navigation system – the Russian equivalent of the GPS system- will be adopted.
•
Russia has become the global leader in space launches, sending a total of 31 successful spacemissions in 2010, compared with 16 by the U.S.
•
Russia ranks fourth in terms of funding of civil space activity, after the U.S., Europe and China.
K
EY
P
LAYERS
•
Roscosmos:The Russian space program has undergone vast changes since a 2004 initiative that
allocated more money for space exploration and development. The agency is now halfway through theFederal Space Plan 2006-15.The program allocated $8 billion over ten years for space programs, withadditional funds being supplemented for military and GLONASS systems. The plan also provides for70 non-military craft to be put in orbit by 2015. As part of the Space and Telecoms working group ofthe Presidential commission on Modernization and Technological Development of the Russianeconomy, Roscosmos is implementing a number of projects, including an emergency response systemfor potential problems with the ERA GLONASS system, and creating a complete production cycle for anew generation of solar panels.
•
Energia Rocket and Space Corporation:Russia’s umbrella organization for the creation and operation
of manned rocket complexes and systems, launch vehicles, unmanned space systems and high spacetechnology. It oversees Russia’s responsibilities for its section of the International Space Station (ISS).Since 2007, it has produced and launched 20 spacecraft and completed 10 major expeditions whichtransported 30 cosmonauts and astronauts to the ISS.
•
Russian ScanEx:ScanEx provides acquisition and thematic processing of Earth observation images
from space. Its research and development section is known for producing geoportals – tools forterritory management on the basis of continuously updated information about the Earth usinginformation from satellites.
3
•
Russian Institute of Space Engineering (RSIDE): RSIDE is in charge of the development, production,
operation and maintenance of multi-functional space and ground-based systems. It has developed theground control operations for rocket and spacecraft launches in Russia and from the cosmodrome atBaikonur, the Sea Launch site, as well as on-board control and telemetry systems for the servicemodule of the International space station.
•
Orbital Technologies:In October 2010, the CEO of Orbital Technologies Sergei Kostenko announced
plans for the construction of the first orbital hotel.Together with RSC Energia, Orbital Technologies
plans to build, launch and operate the world’s first commercial space station. The commercial venturewill be able to host a crew of seven people and will be compatible for service with the Soyuz andProgress spacecraft. According to Kostenko,the platform will allow for various possible uses, from
medical research and material processing to space tourism. If needed, the platform could also be usedas an emergency refuge for the ISS crew, or serve as the “gateway to the solar system” for deepspace exploration missions.
I
NTERNATIONAL
C
OOPERATION
,
A
K
EY
F
ACTOR OF
S
UCCESS
•
On April 7, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by Russia declaring
12 April‘International Day of Human Space Flight’:
Russia’s permanent representative to the UN VitalyChurkin read astatement from President Medvedev stating: “I am convinced that multilateral
cooperation for the exploration and the use of outer space for peaceful purposes will be extended to anincreasing number of countries, that it will promote joint efforts aimed at finding solutions to globalproblems and for the scientific and technological progress of mankind.”
•
International Space Station (ISS)
: A Russian-American endeavor that began in 1993 withparticipants from Canada, Japan and EU countries. The ISS consists of two integrated segments
(Russian and US) and has been incrementally assembled in orbit from individual modules. RSCEnergia partners with Boeing in combining the two sections and the orbital platform will be used until2020.
•
NASA cooperation with Roscosmos
: NASA and the Russian space program have established anenduring partnership in international space cooperation. Russia has shuttled more than 20 NASAastronauts since 1995, and following this year’s termination of the American space shuttle program,the Russian space agency will transport, train, and incur all other costs associated with puttingAmerican astronauts into space. The current contract extension is worth $753 million, running until
June 2016.
•
International cooperation on GLONASS:
Roscosmos signed agreements and memoranda ofcooperation on the use of GLONASS technologies with a host of countries, including Argentina, Brazil,Ukraine, and India. Further agreements are being lined up with Chile, Nicaragua, Peru and SaudiArabia to make the system more widely available around the world. As part of the ongoing spacedialogue, Russia and the EU are discussing the possibility of cooperation between the ERAGLONASS satellite and the Europe’s Galileo system. Meanwhile talks are ongoing with betweenRussia and the US towards compatibility and interoperability between GLONASS and GPS.
•
Arianespace
: French Arianespace is the “commercial launch service leader, having orbited more
satellites to geostationary transfer orbit than any other provider in the world”. In itsRussianoperations,it has operated the Soyuz medium launcher at Baikonur (Kazakhstan) since 1999, with 22successful commercial launches. The Russian-designed Soyuz, in use since 1957 when it putSputnik into orbit, has been used in more than 1,700 missions. At the 2010 St. Petersburg forum,
CEO of Arianespace Jean-Yves Le Gall and Russian space program head Anatoly Perminov signedan agreement that will see Arianespace order up to 10 Soyuz launches, to be performed from theGuiana Space Center.
•
Russian cooperation with European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS):
Atrium, asubsidiary of EADS and Russian firm ScanEx,signed an agreement in September 2010 giving the
company exclusive distribution rights for Spot 6 and Spot 7 satellites. The satellites, used in mapping,
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
Russian Space Program (factsheet via ModernRussia.com)
A factsheet from http://www.ModernRussia.com - On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first man to travel into outer space. Fifty years later, Russia’s space industry has come a long way from that initial 89-minute voyage.…
(More)
27.3K
Reads
28
Readcasts
2.9K
Embed Views
Recommended
More From This User
Notes
Load more
