[Spaceflight] Russia on the Moon by 2029

[PlonioFludrasco]

Roscosmos said they are planning a manned mission to the Moon in 2029 (60 years after Apollo 11). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/9141416/Russia-to-finally-send-man-to-the-Moon.html

What do you think?

[Kryten]

There was never much chance of this in the first place, but the plan it was part of has now been thrown out completely anyway. We don't have a full replacement for the strategic plan, but they've already cancelled the SHLV program.

[Slam_Jones]

I'm curious what their planned objectives are.

Is it simply a display of prowess? Or are they gonna be doing some science up there?

[Deutherius]

I'm curious what their planned objectives are.

Is it simply a display of prowess? Or are they gonna be doing some science up there?

My guess is both.

Lets just hope they won't try to refurbish the N1-L3 for this purpose

[kerbed]

why send a man when u can send a robot? Easier, cheaper, and less complicated assuming the experiments require minimal robotics

[xenomorph555]

US to the moon by 2029-Sure

China to the moon by 2029-Would be surprised if they weren't

Russia to the moon by 2029-Not happening, sanctions and all

[Bill Phil]

why send a man when u can send a robot? Easier, cheaper, and less complicated assuming the experiments require minimal robotics

Why not send a man/woman?

He/she might die? Too bad. It would be so worth it to even try.

Everyone says, "Why send a person?" when the question, "Why not send a person?" is equally valid.

More mass, sure. But more prestige.

Probes are good, sure. But they're not as inspiring as sending a PERSON to the Moon.

[xenomorph555]

My guess is both.

Lets just hope they won't try to refurbish the N1-L3 for this purpose

Actually with modern technology (RD-180) I think N1-L3 could work quite well. It would also be more economical. In-fact I would support a decision to bring it back.

[kerbiloid]

Nobody on Moon till 2040..2050.

[jwenting]

I'm curious what their planned objectives are.

Is it simply a display of prowess? Or are they gonna be doing some science up there?

prestige project with military goals. That's where the money is coming from, always has. In Apollo too science was merely a sideshow, it was primarily showing off how big a rocket could be built for lobbing nukes around.

[Pipcard]

It's true that the space race was borne out of ICBM development, but Saturn V was way too big to be an ICBM. Russia's Proton (which carried about 1/6 of the payload capacity as the Saturn V) was originally planned to be a super-heavy ICBM, but then it was realized that it would be oversized for that purpose.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Pipcard

[Debra]

Latest news:

Head of Russia's space agency said that lunar flight program for 2028-2029 will be unmanned, but putting a man on the moon is scheduled for 2029-2030.

The lunar flight program for 2028-2029 will be unmanned, but putting a man on the moon is scheduled for 2029-2030, the head of Russia's space agency said this Tuesday.

"We need to begin working now to do this," Roscosmos head Igor Komarov said.

Komarov added that Roscosmos is already developing all of the preliminary stages for the lunar flight program.

The agency aims to become a world leader in space exploration in 2015, specifically with regard to Mars and Moon missions, Komarov said as cited by press service for the United Rocket and Space Corporation, a state-run joint stock company under Roscosmos.

It quoted other objectives that the Russian space industry has decided to pursue this year, including involvement in international space projects to send missions to planets in the solar system.

The Russian space program has an ambitious agenda. In September 2014, Roscosmos said it was planning to launch a full-scale moon exploration program in 2016-2025 and gave the green light to a project to build a super heavy rocket that is needed to send spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit.

Source: SputnikNews

[kerbiloid]

It's true that the space race was borne out of ICBM development, but Saturn V was way too big to be an ICBM. Russia's Proton (which carried about 1/6 of the payload capacity as the Saturn V) was originally planned to be a super-heavy ICBM, but then it was realized that it would be oversized for that purpose.

Both sides had plans of military bases in da space. Super-heavy rockets give such ability.

[1greywind]

This all looks like plot to save PTK-NP project from cancelation. Rogozin and Komavrov (head of Roscosmos) have shown PTK-NP model to Putin few days ago and have talked about it like prjoect currently in active development (witch is no very accurate - project was on low gas for at least year). It is sad to say, but PTK-NP realy have no porpuse for missions on low Earth orbit (it can't beat Soyuz as crew taxi) and only reasonable mission for it is Moon's orbit or some near earth object.

[Tommygun]

US to the moon by 2029-Sure

China to the moon by 2029-Would be surprised if they weren't

Russia to the moon by 2029-Not happening, sanctions and all

Just my personal opinion, but that's actually a lot of new flight hardware in just 14 years.

We do have better and cheaper technology than 46 years ago, but that's still a lot to do.

Just getting the prototypes ready for their first flights by then might be doable?

[prophet_01]

Well... the rusdian goverment anounced quite a few strategic projects that are very ambitious at best. They also want to build a new super heavy military aircraft carrier. They don't even have the facilities that would be necessary to produce it and struggeling to finish theire current projects, because the EU refuses to deliver the needed components. They also have other huge strategic projects going that seem rather doubtful.

Anyway I don't want to drift into politics here, it's just that they announced a number of rather unrealistic projects, while theire economic situation remains difficult. This seems to be another one... although more launches and especially more manned missions aren't a bad thing

[DECQ]

ahaha, this article was written in 2012 ... I recently listened to an interview with the Russian Space Agency, where they say that just upgrading Angara, and will launch manned mission to the moon in orbit through a Dock (somewhere in the 2030-40 year). Superheavy rocket will not she small-section and expensive.

P.S. I disappoint you, Roskosmos for several years can not take a clear space program ...

Edited April 15, 2015 by DECQ

[xenomorph555]

What Roskosmos needs is a politically strong, smart, daring, hero leader like Korolev to lead the Motherland back into the glory-days of space exploration!

[AngelLestat]

boooriiiiiing.... we need to wait 15 years more just to accomplish the same than in the 60th without any other real objective than "be there".

Even that is far more cheaper than a Venus or Mars manned mission, it will have way less support from the people (which in part determines the mission budget).

The news of this event when arrives in 2030 it will be seeing just as something important to talk that day..

I personally I found more interesting spacex achieving recover the first stage than back to the moon. Because that is something that has real value for us.

Visit Mars or Venus it has tons of value that can not be compared with nothing, we can found life in mars.. we can found the key to understand and solve global warming in Venus, we can make the first steps in what may be our next home..

Some may think that have a base on the moon may be the perfect step to travel other planets, but is not. In any case if you want fuel waiting outside earth, just capture an asteroid and mine its water. Or do what elun musk is trying to do.. a cheap way to launch things.

[DECQ]

What Roskosmos needs is a politically strong, smart, daring, hero leader like Korolev to lead the Motherland back into the glory-days of space exploration!

Personalities like von Braun and Korolev come about once every 100 years. Do not wait for such a person again, just people do not understand why do we need all this. This is not the 60's when people dreamed about space, including the moon. Unfortunately we live in a terrible era.

[xenomorph555]

Personalities like von Braun and Korolev come about once every 100 years. Do not wait for such a person again, just people do not understand why do we need all this. This is not the 60's when people dreamed about space, including the moon. Unfortunately we live in a terrible era.

Well America has Elon right now and ,assuming some horrific accident doesn't happen, probably for a while.

Not sure who's running China's show, but from what we have seen their good.

Apart from those two the other countries don't have 60's class leaders... yet.

[Scotius]

Russia on the Moon anytime soon? With their economy haemorrhaging money due to oil prices falling on the international market? Not to mention economic sanctions putting a stranglehold on many sectors of industry. And large sums of remaining money being sunk into military posturing every month? No way, Jose...

[Firwen]

Russia on the Moon anytime soon? With their economy haemorrhaging money due to oil prices falling on the international market? Not to mention economic sanctions putting a stranglehold on many sectors of industry. And large sums of remaining money being sunk into military posturing every month? No way, Jose...

Saying that is ignoring how we landed on the moon at the first place: We landed on the moon because USA wanted to play to "who has the biggest one ?" with USSR during the cold war. Without this, no government would have ever try to justify the expense of such a program, even as good as it could be.

It would be pure suicide for a politician to do it.

Since the end of the cold war, the world is unipolar and we do not have this competition anymore: Most of the space program died miserably due to lack of funding / interests from politics and public.

Now the world is changing. China want to proove they have the capacity to play with USA, India follows China. Japanese have their proud and refuse to loose face against China. Russia seems to stand up again and USA decide finally to wake up. And if UE start to be ambitious, for once, it might start to dance with the others.

That's not for nothing that we see so many space programs "back to the mun" or "go to Mars" popping up currently.

If you have enough competition, Russia will do something serious like all the others.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Firwen

[Majorjim!]

Roscosmos said they are planning a manned mission to the Moon in 2029 (60 years after Apollo 11). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/9141416/Russia-to-finally-send-man-to-the-Moon.html

What do you think?

I think it's awesome! Good luck comrades.

[Albert VDS]

What Roskosmos needs is a politically strong, smart, daring, hero leader like Korolev to lead the Motherland back into the glory-days of space exploration!

Roscosmos needs the same thing it needed in the 60's; actual funding. Sure it had all the funding to get almost all the firsts, but it was just enough to do that.

It never had enough funding to get humans to the moon.