NASA is not the only space Agency facing budget cuts. Russia too has limited resources in the space arena.
The Moscow Times recently reported:
Russia's federal space agency Roscosmos will receive just 1.5 trillion
rubles ($22.5 billion) in government funding over the next ten years,
less than half of estimated figures cited by space officials earlier
this year, a Roscosmos statement said on Monday evening.
Hard times in Russia are taking their toll. Yet optimism appears to be in the air. A
TASS article in the same week discussed Russia's plans to send cosmonauts to the moon by 2029, stating
According to a preliminary plan, Russia’s first manned flight to the Moon
is possible in 2029. One year ahead of that it is planned to conduct a
flight around the Moon, the testing and qualification of space systems
for the future manned landing. However, this project may become a
reality only if the work to create a new-generation manned transport
spacecraft, the Angara-A5 rocket, lunar boosters and other needed rocket
and space technology and infrastructure is included in the draft
Federal Space Program for 2016-2025.
Russia also plans to send a lunar lander, Luna 25, to the moon's south pole in 2024. Certainly an ambitious schedule for a space agency short of funds. Yet clear targets can better center efforts and resources. We need more of that in the US (as well as more funds).
