Russia slashes space funding by 30 pct as crisis weighs
Source: 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.
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along with other large-scale and costly projects, such as preparations for the 2018 soccer World Cup, state support for Roscosmos has fallen victim to Russia's steep economic downturn, fuelled by a collapse in global oil prices and Western sanctions.
In line with its reduced funding, the space agency has agreed to delay a manned flight to the moon by five years - to 2035 from 2030 - and scrap plans to develop a reusable rocket, a potentially valuable cost-saving technology.
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Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-slashes-space-funding-30-134849721.html
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)with wars, wars and more wars...
Ghost Dog
(16,881 posts)Wilms
(26,795 posts)Ghost Dog
(16,881 posts)rather than merely castigate, as had become their fashion...
Igel
(35,197 posts)Really hard to no what the correct spelling is and what isn't write when you never had to learn proper spelling in the first place.
At least the meaning of "rein" as "kid knees" is ruled out four most people. It seams.
Argh.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Was that rigged Olympics worth it, Vlad? LOL! And now he's hosting soccer, too? People just don't care THAT much--and it's quickly forgotten.
We're gonna need to get off our asses, though, and cough up a vehicle that will get folks to the Space Station. Poot's gonna start raising the ticket prices!
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)With our various private companies getting closer to manned flight, Russias' services will not be needed. We will also not be using their engines. Right Orbital Sciences?
That said, I don't like to see any cuts to space science. Space science is after all, earth science.
daleo
(21,317 posts)You don't want space to become a cozy duopoly of private companies, either.
SCVDem
(5,103 posts)Boeing was the actual organizer of every subcontractor in the Apollo program.
Now we add Space X, Orbital Sciences and Blue Origin to Boeing and Lockheed/Martin et al.
Competition is better than ever.
I wish they would hurry a bit. I'm not getting any younger!
daleo
(21,317 posts)International competitors will set a baseline for launch costs, that U.S. companies will have to take into account. I see that as a good thing, overall.
Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)when we need to get into space? Uber?
bananas
(27,509 posts)Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)with a profit motive who can be counted on to put "shareholder value" ahead of all else?
Elton Musk is really the driving force, and he's not doing this for "shareholder value".
Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)is himself a pretty nice guy, but ultimately, he is compelled by law to put shareholders first. If he bucks this requirement, he will eventually be replaced by people who won't.
Certain things should NEVER be "privatized". Our national space program is one such program
bananas
(27,509 posts)That's why these are all private closely held corporations.
Boeing is only involved because of Bob Bigelow - he didn't want to risk everything in SpaceX, so he partnered with Boeing. Boeing was going to end the CST-100 if they didn't get the Commercial Crew contract from NASA, SpaceX and SNC were both committed to continuing whether they got the NASA contract or not.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)Russian economy is headed for depression. But, Mr. Trump thinks Putin is a great, forceful leader. Instead, Putin is just an adventurous fool.
tabasco
(22,974 posts)Not to mention all the money he's been embezzling from the Russian people.
sofa king
(10,857 posts)Saudi Arabia is overproducing oil to stay ahead of demand so that Russian oil is unprofitable and the Russians are pressured into leaving Syria, which appears to be working.
But the tactic has a limited shelf life because if gasoline doesn't go over $3.00 a gallon by summer, nobody is going to vote Republican in the United States.
So you can bet your ass that behind closed doors the Republicans, especially Dick Cheney and the Bushes, are working FOR Russian interests and the dictatorship in Syria and AGAINST American ones, because they're only in it for themselves and not the people of the United States.