Russia
Proton launches two Russian communications satellites
Proton lifted off at 5:25 p.m. Eastern from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on an 18-hour mission to deploy the geostationary satellites, according to Roscosmos.
U.S. Space Command again condemns Russia for anti-satellite weapon test
U.S. Space Command says Russia on July 15 conducted a non-destructive test of a space-based anti-satellite weapon.
RSCC planning four satellites to cover Russia’s Far North
Yuri Prokhorov, RSCC’s chief executive, said the company wants to have the satellites in orbit in 2024 to provide Ku-band coverage to Russia’s Far North.
Russia suspends Soyuz rocket production amid coronavirus
The manufacturer of Russia’s workhorse Soyuz-2 rocket said it has paused production to keep factory workers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Op-ed | DoD needs to demystify hypersonic weapons technology
Hypersonic capabilities have the potential to rewrite the balance of power across land, sea, air and space. We need to demystify the technology to ensure the nation makes the necessary investments to secure U.S. leadership in hypersonics over the next decade.
Op-ed | Global government space budgets continues multiyear rebound
An expanding U.S. civil space budget is a main force behind recent growth in government space spending, but new civil space expenditures in Asia, the Middle East and Africa also contributed.
China, Russia to cooperate on lunar orbiter, landing missions
Countries to consider science payload contributions to respective Luna-26 and Chang’e-7 spacecraft and establish a joint data center for lunar and deep space exploration.
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.
