Russia, too, has a great new space plan, it seems — they just need money, technology, and skills from the U.S. to pull it off.
Russia Asks U.S. to Join Mars Mission Project
Russia has asked the United States and other space exploring countries to contribute to the Kosmoport project — allowing flights to Mars and the Moon to be launched from Baikonur’s Energiya launching complex in Kazakhstan.
Groan…Not another drive to resurrect Energiya…
…”The most important missions in the project will be a manned flight to Mars and the construction of a lunar space base,” he said.
Sounds…familiar.
The Federal Space Agency has said before that interplanetary flights — which, according to some reports, could take place as early as 2009 — would require funding, technology, and expertise from the United States and other countries, and that Russia could not pull off such costly missions alone.
So, we’re supposed to help fund their grand plan, and provide the requisite technology and skills to boot, while we’re doing the same thing ourselves? What do the Russians plan to provide (besides a decrepit launch facility and a heavy lifter that hasn’t lifted anything since 1988)?
Like Energiya flying again, it just ain’t in the cards.