Russia
First Proton of the year launches Gazprom communications satellite
A Russian Proton rocket launched the Yamal-601 communications satellite for Gazprom Space Systems May 30, completing the first of six Proton missions planned for this year.
Glavkosmos absorbs ILS, promises lower Proton prices
International Launch Services, the commercial sales division of Russia’s Proton rocket manufacturer Khrunichev, is now part of Glavkosmos, a Roscosmos subsidiary that sells Soyuz rocket launches.
‘How do you like that, Elon Musk?’ Explaining a Russian obsession
The Russian space agency’s first official reaction to the successful March 3 docking of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft with the International Space Station congratulated NASA but didn’t mention SpaceX or its founder, Elon Musk.
Rogozin teases new Russian super-heavy rocket Yenisei
On Feb. 4, Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin went to the Kremlin to sit down with Putin for a check-in on the state of the Russian space program. Much of the meeting focused on Roscosmos financials, which are bleak. But toward the end of the publicized portion of their discussion, Rogozin provided an update on three key rocket projects.
The long road to Vostochny: Inside Russia’s newest launch facility
Since construction began in 2007, the Vostochny Cosmodrome has been closed to Western journalists. But Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve — Roscosmos granted SpaceNews access to the cosmodrome as part of a revealing, though highly restricted and tightly controlled press tour
Defense intelligence report: China in steady pursuit of space capabilities to outmatch U.S.
DIA report: U.S communications, reconnaissance, navigation and early warning satellites could be among the targets of China's counterspace weapons.
Russia inaugurates Vostochny Cosmodrome with semi-commercial Soyuz launch
After years of delays, construction mishaps and outrageous corruption scandals, Russia’s new premier space launch facility — the Vostochny Cosmodrome — saw the first successful flight of commercial payloads aboard a Soyuz 2.1A rocket.
Op-ed | Space Force: premature or overdue?
What both the Russian and Chinese space forces reflect is a shifting view of the nature of future conflict, and the place space has within that view.
A hole in NASA-Roscosmos relations
The prevailing mood toward the United States in Moscow has certainly been a factor fueling the speculations NASA and Roscosmos now seek to tamp down.
Proton Medium, International Launch Services’ answer to Falcon 9, put on “indefinite hold”
Russia has suspended development of the Proton Medium rocket that U.S.-based International Launch Services (ILS) began marketing two years ago as its answer to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
FIRST UP Satcom | Viasat wins $122.5M FCC subsidy • Gilat suppling ground equipment for Yamal-601 • Avanti eyes DoD business with Comsat
FIRST UP Satcom is a weekly SpaceNews newsletter for satellite and telecom professionals.
Putin challenges Roscosmos to “drastically improve” on space and launch
Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Roscosmos to meet deadlines for the nation’s future Angara, Soyuz-5 and “super-heavy class” rockets while fixing quality-control issues that have dogged Russian spacecraft and launch vehicles in recent years.
New Roscosmos chief prioritizes ending Proton’s reign
In his first interview as head of Russia’s Roscosmos space corporation, Dmitry Rogozin confirmed reports of the venerable Proton rocket’s coming demise and suggested Russia is looking to make its segment of the ISS more autonomous.
Trump’s Space Force announcement could propel us to deal with space ‘Pearl Harbor’
Those who loathe or love a Space Force “separate but equal” to the Air Force must think and act decisively and quickly. Regardless of whether the Space Force actually materializes, deliberation alone could finally spring us into action to deal with the looming threat of space Pearl Harbor.
Angola eyes new satellite as African space race accelerates
While Angola’s first telecom satellite, Angosat-1, failed not long after reaching orbit late last year, the sub-Saharan African nation will get a second shot at satellite ownership with the planned 2020 launch of Angosat-2.
Putin’s sanctioned space boss a new wrinkle for U.S.-Russian relations
The U.S.-Russian space partnership is one of technicalities, not of personalities. But Dmitry Rogozin is potentially toxic to this relationship from the standpoint of technicality.
