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As NASA has been redirected to focus on Muslim countries are they transferring technology to Russia?
Russia wants a nuclear-powered spacecraft for Mars mission
Posted on Apr 12th 2011 by Lydia Leavitt
The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently working with NASA to develop a major Mars exploration project.
However, the ESA but has no immediate plans to collaborate with Russia, a nation which is also developing nuclear-powered spacecraft technology for a long journey to the red planet.
Nuclear technology offers more power in less space, which makes it particularly attractive for long missions.
Russia and the United States have been developing nuclear technology for decades, but placed new emphasis on the concept in recent years.
The Russian government
allotted 430 million rubles ($14.4 million USD) in 2010 to the cause.
Alongside the Russians, the ESA is working with NASA on a project known as ExoMars (Exobiology in Mars), a similar but separate initiative to build nuclear-powered spaceships.
Although all of the above-mentioned entities are researching nuclear power for spacecraft, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos reiterated there was no collaborative agreement between the three agencies.
Roscosmos director Anatoly Perminov said the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) would help Russia maintain a competitive edge in the space race for exploration of the moon and Mars.
The Russians are hoping to complete the nuclear engine design by 2012 at an estimated cost of 17 billion rubles ($600 million USD).
Still, it should be noted that ESA head Jean-Jacques Dorden recently confirmed the agency would "consider" using Russian experience and technology in its own nuclear-powered spacecraft developments.
Russia, NASA to Meet This Month to Discuss Collaboration on Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft
by
eklipz on April 5th, 2011 at 4:31 PM in
Science
In the last century, Russia and the United States engaged competitively in both a space race and a nuclear technology race. In this century, it appears the two are considering collaborating in turning the fruits of those Cold War showdowns into workable technology that could expand spaceflight operations beyond Earth orbit. On April 15, Russia and NASA (and a handful of other “nuclear club” countries) will convene to talk about building a next-gen, nuclear powered spaceship.
The head of Roscosmos–NASA’s Russian counterpart–told Russia’s state-owned newswire that states with a high degree of nuclear reactor technology will take part in the talks. So while Roscosmos and NASA are the principal space agencies involved, France, Germany, China, and Japan were also mentioned as potential partners in the report.
Why now? Roscosmos, it turns out, plans to complete a new design for a nuclear spacecraft engine by next year. But while it has big plans for its nuclear technology, it needs some $600 million to build the thing. A good deal of that will likely come from Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear agency.
But clearly Roscosmos also seeks international involvement, be it financial or technical.
Nuclear tech has long been envisioned as the enabling technology that will lead to deep space travel, but there is not yet consensus on exactly how to implement it. Russia has previously described its “engine” as a “megawatt-class nuclear space power system.” That means it might be of the more conventional electricity-providing variety that would power ion engines or some such, though it could also use reactor heat to eject reaction mass, meaning it would provide thrust as well as electricity.
It’s unclear if the Russians will make public their ongoing design April 15th, or exactly what Roscosmos expects to come of the talks. If it turns out Russia and the U.S. sign an unprecedented agreement to explore far-off star systems together riding a jointly-built nuclear spacecraft, expect to read about it here. But don’t put your money on it just yet.
NASA tests Mars spacesuit
Mar 22, 2011 07:14 Moscow Time
NASA researchers have tested a spacesuit intended for missions to Mars. The tests were conducted at a base in the Antarctic. It is believed that the low temperatures of the continent closely resemble conditions on the red planet.
The creator of the suit, Argentine engineer Pablo de Leon, personally tried out the suit and was pleased with its performance.
The suit consists of 350 different materials and costs about 100 thousand dollars. Earlier, U.S. President Barack Obama said that NASA may be sending astronauts to Martian orbit in
20-25 years.
While Obama Destroys NASA, Russia Speeds Up Its Own Moon-Mars
Project
April 7, 2011 • 11:11AM
While insane President Barack Obama is destroying the U.S. manned space program, the Russians remain committed to going to the Moon and Mars. In an interview with Bloomberg, Anatoly Perminov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said Russia will accelerate planned missions to the Moon that could put a man on the Moon within 10 years.
"It is the first time that the government has allocated decent financing to us," Perminov said in a phone interview on April 2. The agency's $3.5 billion budget for 2011 is the highest since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. "We can now advance on all themes a bit," Perminov said.
"We are increasing the space budget as the time has come for a technological breakthrough," Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, also told Bloomberg. "We need to replace outdated infrastructure and continue to support the flagship status of the space industry." Russia intends to continue allocating more funds for the space industry, Peskov said. "We'll increase financing if possible, depending on the budget balance, because the industry was and remains one of our priorities," he said.
On April 5, Russia's Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft, with three astronauts, including one American, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome en route to the International Space Station. April 12 marks the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first mission as the first man to go into space. Alexander Samokutiaev and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, and NASA's Ron Garan are scheduled to arrive at the station on April 7, Roscosmos said on its website.
Russia now receives $752 million from the U.S. for sending crews to the ISS through 2015. Of course, Bloomberg points out that this is happening just as Obama is scrapping the U.S. manned space program, and NASA is seeking an $18.7 billion budget for next year, $300 million less than the funding targeted for this year.
"We need the Mars flight, as it will help create new large-scale technologies," Yuriy Karash, member of the Russian Space Academy, told Bloomberg. "It means there will be new rockets, new engines, new anti-radiation medicine that will protect people in outer space." Russia may be able to complete a Mars mission within 12 years if it is included in the new Federal space program, Karash said. Roscosmos is working on a plan that will start in 2015, to focus more on outer space than before, Perminov said in the interview. A flight to Mars is more likely in cooperation with other space programs, according to the Roscosmos plan.
Russia will need a new rocket, a new manned spacecraft for crews of between four and six members, and a new launch site to operate manned flights as early as in 2018, Perminov said. The new rocket, Rus-M, which is to become Russia's main vehicle for manned spaceflights, should be ready for the 2015 start of Russia's new space program, he said.
Re: The United States is OUT OF THE SPACE BUSINESS
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Putin urges Ukraine to join new Russian space center project
Originally Posted by vector7
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