Production floor at the Khrunichev State Space Center
Photo: Dmitry Lebedev
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Russia Leads the World into Space
Since the beginning of the year, Russia has made 21 space launches of various types and from various space centers. According to the Roscosmos website, there were 57 spaces launches in the world all told this year through October 31. Two of them ended unsuccessfully. There were 55 launches in the same period of last year. Russia launched 15 rockets from Baikonur, four from Plesetsk, one from Kapustin Yar and one from Yasny.
The United States made 14 launches in the same period. One of them, the Falcon-1, was unsuccessful. The People’s Republic of China made seven launches, one of them manned. Five French Ariane-5 rockets were launched by the Arianespace consortium from French Guiana. Five Russian-Ukrainian Zenit-3SL rockets were launched from the Odyssey sea platform in the equatorial zone of the Pacific Ocean by the Sea Launch company. (Among the launches attributed to Russia was one Zenith Land Launch rocket that took off from Baikonur.) India launched three rockets and Japan one.
Iran tried to join the ranks of the space powers, but there is no confirmation that it was successful in places in spacecraft in Earth’s orbit. There were 85 satellites launched between January and the end of October. Thirty-five of those were put aloft by Russia, but most of the satellites were foreign. The U.S. launched 13, India 12, China 10, Arianespace 9, Sea Launch 5 and Japan 1. There were 94 satellites launched in the same period of last year.
Tomorrow the international Air Show China 2008 opens, at which the Russian space industry will display its wares. It will run through November 9. The show is sponsored by the Chinese State Council and has been held biannually since 1996. It showcases both civil and military air and space hardware.
www.kommersant.com
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