 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
NEW: April 2
Site updates:
To sign up for FREE periodic E-mail notifications about new features on this site, send E-mail with word "update" in the subject line.
Moscow Time
Political and economic woes not withstanding, the 2009 crop of ESA astronauts has a chance to pilot the continent's first manned spacecraft sometime in 2020s. Copyright © 2009 Odi Busman
NEXT IN SPACE
July 15-Aug. 15: The Proton rocket to launch AsiaSat 5 comsat from Baikonur.
... and beyond
HELP WANTED!
-
Advertising manager/Marketer
-
Contributing Editor/Reporter (Moscow)
-
Web site designer
Contact Anatoly Zak for details.
ATTENTION AUTHORS, COLLECTORS!
Will buy photos, artwork, books, blueprints, published and unpublished articles, dissertations, memoirs and other materials and documents on the history of rocketry and space exploration from any country and time period.
Contact Anatoly Zak
Acknowledgments:
Publisher would like to thank Alain Chabot from Université Sainte-Anne in Church Point, Nova Scotia, Canada, for his tremendous help in making this site possible, as well as following individuals for their support of this project:
Nicholas Abadzis
Christian Cognard
Dave Cooper
Mitch Davis
Charles Durrett
Stefan Eich
Paul Feigelman
Matthew Flammer
Robert Godfrey
Charles William Kauffman
Manish Kumar
Viktor Lapinskii
James Lucas
Robert McClimon
Don Mitchell
William Rierden
Eugene Wan
Andi Wuestner
TOP STORY
Russian concept of the orbiting station to replace the ISS. Copyright © 2009 Anatoly Zak |
Russia, Europe prepare plans beyond ISS
Published: 2009 July 3
Russian and European space officials started consultations on possible goals for the manned space flight after the end of the International Space Station, ISS, program.
At the forefront of the talks are Russian plans to replace the ISS with a new manned outpost in the low-Earth orbit in 2020-2025. However unlike the ISS, which was designed to serve primarily as a research lab, the new station was conceived as an assembly point for missions to the Moon and Mars. Russian and European officials said they hoped that NASA would also be interested in the project.
In a presentation made to NASA, on June 17, 2009, Russian space agency, Roskosmos, officially informed the US about its intention to "build and prepare for operation the first elements of the orbital assembly and experimental piloted space complex by the end of the ISS life cycle."
The Russian successor to the ISS, was identified as Orbital Manned Assembly and Experiment Complex, or OPSEK. Unlike previous designs of Mir, Mir-2 and the ISS, the heart of the new station would be a four-ton ball-shaped node module. Equipped with six docking ports, this relatively small and simple element would be the only permanent element of the station. All other modules would come and go as their lifespans and missions require.
See more details, exclusive images and presentations inside
Other news, updates:
July 1: Proton delivers Sirius FM-5 |
June 22: RKK chief: only have needed money available for PPTS |
June 24: Sea Launch files for Chapter 11 |
June 22: Measat-3a finally flies |
| June 23: Chief Designers Council on Rus-M to meet in Q3 | June 10: Station crew conducts "internal" spacewalk |
Station crew conducts spacewalk
Published: 2009 June 5
International Space Station Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Mike Barratt worked outside the station.
Canadian to take last tourist seat
Published: 2009 June 2
Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil, will occupy the only seat left available to paid tourists in the current flight schedule of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Station receives its full permanent crew
Published: 2009 May 27; updated May 29
The crew of the International Space Station, ISS, has increased from three to six, with the arrival of a fresh expedition on May 29.
Russia mulls rocket-powered landing
Published: 2009 May 5
A defining feature of Russia's new-generation PPTS spacecraft would be its landing system.
Russia starts development of the new manned spacecraft
Published: 2009 April 6
On Monday, Russia's federal space agency, Roskosmos, formally selected RKK Energia, to be a prime developer of the nation's next-generation manned spacecraft Monday.
Russia starts development of the launch vehicle for next-generation manned spacecraft
Published: 2009 April 2
Federal space agency, Roskosmos chose prime contractor for the development of the launch vehicle, which will carry the nation's future manned spacecraft.
Second Meridian struggles to reach its orbit
Published: 2009 May 23
The second Meridian satellite apparently enters lower than expected orbit.
Proton launches military comsat
Published: 2009 March 1
For a second time within a month, the Proton rocket lifts off from Baikonur with a communications satellite, this time for the Russian military.
Russia replenishes its navigation network
Published: 2008 Dec. 25
Russia launched a second mission of 2008 to complete the national global navigation system.
Bulava missile fails in test launch
Published: 2008 Dec. 23
A long-anticipated launch of the Bulava missile ended in another failure, prompting soul-searching within the Russian military industrial complex.
Published: 2009 July 1
Proton rocket successfully delivered the SIRIUS FM-5 satellite.
The Zenit-2SB rocket lifted off on June 22, 2009, carrying the Measat-3a communications satellite for Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Published: 2008 Oct. 1
A converted ballistic missile launched a long-delayed Thai imaging satellite.
Kap Yar serves as a spaceport again
Published: 2008 June 19
Russia's original ballistic missile test site served as a spaceport for a rare orbital launch attempt. The Cosmos-3M rocket blasted off from the Kapustin Yar military range on June 19, 2008, at 10:36:45 Moscow Time, Russian space agency announced.
Russia, India to search for lunar water
Published: 2009 March 4
Russian planetary scientists mull an ambitious goal for a cooperative lunar mission with India – the search for water ice.
Russia launches space weather monitor
Published: 2009 Jan. 28; updated: Jan 29, Jan. 30, Feb. 1
Russia launched an unmanned satellite designed to watch capricious behavior of our closest star – the Sun.
Copyright © 2001, 2009 Anatoly Zak
No part of this publication can be reproduced, copied or distributed in any form without written permission from the publisher.