Russia's deputy prime minister just denounced his own nation's space agency as "childish" in the wake of errors and a canceled rocket program. Is it time for Russia to embrace new commercial space businesses, just like the U.S. has?
Sergei Ivanov spoke to Roskosmos today to officially rebuke the space agency (the Russian equivalent to Nasa) for a succession of failures that have resulted in the wasting of billions of rubles and the loss of several key space assets.
In December a fuel miscalculation meant that three Glonass satellites (part of the constellation of navigation satellites that form Russia's own Gps-equivalent system) didn't make it to the correct orbit...or in fact into space for any period at all. The rocket, unable to power itself to the right altitude, tumbled back through the atmosphere and fell into the Pacific Ocean. The asset loss was placed at about $86 million, and Ivanov specified this figure.
Sergei Ivanov spoke to Roskosmos today to officially rebuke the space agency (the Russian equivalent to Nasa) for a succession of failures that have resulted in the wasting of billions of rubles and the loss of several key space assets.
In December a fuel miscalculation meant that three Glonass satellites (part of the constellation of navigation satellites that form Russia's own Gps-equivalent system) didn't make it to the correct orbit...or in fact into space for any period at all. The rocket, unable to power itself to the right altitude, tumbled back through the atmosphere and fell into the Pacific Ocean. The asset loss was placed at about $86 million, and Ivanov specified this figure.
- 2/28/2011
- by Kit Eaton
- Fast Company
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