It’s the end of a monopoly: after the theft of the American private group SpaceX, the Russians are no longer the only ones to send cosmonauts to the International space station.
The two astronauts from the Nasa transported by the SpaceX capsule entered the station on Sunday after a 19-hour flight.
This mission is a first since the stop in 2011 of American shuttle flights to the ISS, which left the more secure and cheaper Russian Soyuz rockets exclusive to manned flights.
For nine years, the ISS residents all left the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome after training in Russia and learning the Pushkin language.
“The trampoline works”
Good player, the Russian space agency Roskosmos has greeted
the takeoff of the SpaceX rocket, its executive director for manned flights, Sergei Krikaliov, believing that the success of this mission will bring us new opportunities
.
The trampoline works
, SpaceX founder Elon Musk joked at a news conference on Sunday at a press conference to the boss of Roskosmos.
The latter, Dmitri Rogozin, said in 2014, during a period of tension, when Moscow threatened to interrupt space cooperation with Washington, that American astronauts may well need a trampoline
to join the ISS.
The allusion ignited Russian social networks, many memes
internet and jokes ridiculing Dmitri Rogozin being published.
The phenomenon even forced his spokesperson to speak out. We don’t really understand the hysteria triggered by the successful launch of the Crew Dragon capsule
, wrote on Twitter Vladimir Oustimienko. What should have happened a long time ago has happened
.
Vladimir Oustimienko has also announced that Russia would test two new rockets
this year and resume its lunar program next year
.
The boss of Roskosmos had said the day before that Russia was planning in the fall a test launch for a heavy Angara rocket, supposed to replace the aging Proton launchers, and that it would accelerate the development of its intercontinental ballistic missile Sarmat, presented as possibly overcome any missile defense.
The blow is hard
The blow remains however harsh. These flights (operated by Russia) were an unexpected chance for Moscow to continue its production of Soyuz and maintain a weight in the negotiations on the ISS
, underlines Isabelle Sourbès-Verger, French researcher from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), specialist in space policies.
Roskosmos also benefited financially, charging NASA each seat to the ISS for about $ 80 million.
If SpaceX now transports American astronauts, the annual loss could exceed $ 200 million, a significant sum for Roskosmos and its budget of about two billion
, calculates Andreï Ionine, expert at the Tsiolkovski Space Academy in Moscow.
While Elon Musk says he charges $ 60 million instead, Roskosmos’ Dmitri Rogozin has announced that he is trying to cut prices by 30%.
SpaceX saves by using cheap motors and producing almost all of its parts. In Russia, this would require changing the production process
, comments Andrei Ionine, skeptical.
“Awakening”
Beyond these questions, the arrival of SpaceX should serve as a awakening
for a Russian space sector in a much worse situation than the leaders admit
, says Mr. Ionine.
If 10 years ago Moscow carried out the majority of orbital launches, this is no longer the case today, against the Chinese and SpaceX rockets.
When we lost the launch market, Roskosmos said that everything was fine because we were the only ones to take people to the station. Now this vine leaf has fallen
, notes Andreï Ionine.
The sector is still weakened by corruption, as evidenced by the scandals surrounding the construction of the new Vostochny cosmodrome in the Far East.
In addition, for lack of means and of real political will, he does not innovate. Russian program focuses on development of Soviet technologies
, reminds Andreï Ionine.
However, the rise of private companies like SpaceX, which aims to conquer Mars, promises a technological leap that is difficult to catch up with.
To remain in the running, Andreï Ionine recommends the definition of a strategy by a body independent of the actors of the Russian space sector.
President (Donald) Trump has re-established a body, the National Space Council, to set these political goals. We would need the same
says Mr. Ionine.
Observers note, however, a lack of will on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin, visibly more focused on the development of military capabilities, in particular high-tech hypersonic missiles.
For Putin, cosmonautics is not a priority to demonstrate the power of the state
sums up the specialist journalist Vitali Egorov.
– .
