MOSCOW, January 1. /TASS/. The Russian space industry faced a number of fundamental changes in 2022 – the appointment of a new Roscosmos CEO, the introduction of sanctions and the EU’s refusal to work together. In spite of this, the state space corporation continues its cooperation with international partners: in particular, an agreement on joint work on the international scientific lunar station was signed with China, and a cross-flight agreement was signed with the US.
TASS summarized how this year went for the Russian space industry and how it will develop in the future.
100% success rate
The total number of launches this year was lower than in 2021, but, just like in the previous year, they were all successful. A total of 22 launches took place from the Baikonur, Vostochny, Plesetsk Cosmodromes and the Guiana Space Center in Kourou. According to Roscosmos, the average five-year success rate is 99%.
"The annual success rate in the past four years is 100%. Meanwhile, the average five-year success rate key point indicator stands at 99%,” the state corporation told TASS, underscoring that Russian space launch vehicles ensure a success rate on par with top foreign competitors.
The appointment of a new Roscosmos CEO was one of the most high-profile events this year. In July, Yury Borisov became the new CEO, succeeding Dmitry Rogozin. The new CEO defined the transition to serial satellite production, the commercialization of space services, and creation of a new orbital station as some of Roscosmos’ top priorities.
Serial satellite production will facilitate the implementation of the “Sfera” program, which includes launch of communication and remote Earth probing satellites. In particular, the program will include five telecom satellite groups and five probing clusters. The first “Skif-D” demonstrator satellite under the Sfera program will be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in September.
A station of accord
In 2022, the space industry faced Western sanctions, imposed over the special military operation in Ukraine. In particular, the European Space Agency (ESA) rejected a joint mission to Mars; Germany’s eROSITA telescope on the Spektr-RG space observatory was shut down (Russia’s ART-XC telescope continues to operate). In November, Yury Borisov told TASS that ESA rejected cooperation with Russia entirely.
Meanwhile, the US prohibited shipment of radiation-resistant electronic components used in satellite production. Despite this, relations between Roscosmos and NASA remain in place: first and foremost, cooperation on the International Space Station (ISS). For instance, after the depressurization of a radiator on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the ISS, NASA astronauts assisted in an external inspection of the spacecraft using Canadarm robotic manipulator cameras.
"Say hello to the entire American team. They acted honorably in this situation, they extended a helping hand. But, I hope that we can manage on our own,” Borisov said during a communication session with the Russian crew consisting of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin and Anna Kikina.
According to the CEO, the ISS crew sets an example for the entire world on how to cooperate in the most complicated of situations.
"Many politicians could learn from you,” Borisov added.
According to the Tsiolkovsky Space Academy scholar Igor Marinin, Russia and the US are bound to cooperate on the ISS project.
"I’d use a [Russian] saying here: there’s nowhere you can go when you’re in a submarine. As long as the ISS is functioning, cooperation will continue, because the station cannot function without Russia and the US. That means, we are bound quite tightly on this project. And, however willing or unwilling to cooperate we are, we have to do it,” he told TASS.
Meanwhile, space historian Alexander Zheleznyakov told TASS he also noted the good partnership between Russian and US representatives on the ISS.
"I believe that cooperation between the Americans and the Russians – at least on the ISS project – is not going anywhere,” the specialist said. “Take the Soyuz MS-22 situation, where an emergency occurred in the spacecraft’s cooling system. The Americans showed their best side in this situation: they helped our cosmonauts take photos of the potential coolant leak location and they offered to take the Russian crew back to Earth using the US-made Dragon spacecraft. I believe that this cooperation, this partnership and mutual assistance will continue in the future. The Americans may find themselves in a similar situation as well.”
The agreement on three cross-flights of Russian cosmonauts on US-made spacecraft and US astronauts on Russian-made spacecraft is another example of cooperation. Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina has become the first to fly aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. According to Zheleznyakov, Russian-American cooperation on cross flights and Russia’s decision to prolong its participation on the ISS project are good signs.
"All this indicates that it is better to cooperate in space than to break up and shut ourselves inside our national apartments,” Zheleznyakov believes.
A cosmonaut’s opinion
In 2022, TASS had two special reporters in orbit. In March, cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev departed to the ISS, and handed over the reporter’s “shift” to his colleague Dmitry Petelin in September.
Petelin considers the space mission the main event of not only this year, but of his entire life. According to the cosmonaut, it was a goal that took him decades to achieve.
"In the space industry in general, one can point out the long-awaited start of the Orion unmanned mission around the Moon. The Spektr-RG and James Webb space observatories also displayed encouraging results,” Petelin noted.
The cosmonaut called the damage to the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft the most extraordinary event of 2022.
"Undoubtedly, it made changes to the current mission’s plans,” he said.
Speaking about the planned operations, Petelin underscored the completion of equipping of the Nauka multipurpose ISS module and the arrival of the US-made Starliner spacecraft to the station.
Return to the Moon
Russia was unable to launch its lunar mission – the first one in Russia’s modern history – because a Doppler range and speed meter did not comply with technical requirements. By the end of the year, Roscosmos told TASS that the instrument passed inspection and has been installed on the spacecraft.
The launch window for Luna-25 lunar probe has been set for July-August of 2023. Experts unanimously call it the Russian space industry’s main event in 2023. The station’s purpose is to use a probe to define optimal landing locations for future spacecraft, and to carry out contact surface research near the south pole of the Moon.
"This is our first return to the Moon since 1976 – a grandiose event,” says researcher Igor Marinin.
Alexander Zheleznyakov noted, however, that the lunar mission will become the most anticipated and long-awaited event for the Russian space industry alone.
"The mission is supposed to mark the return of our space industry to the lunar program. If it happens – which I very much want and wish for the specialists who work on this station – then it will be the most iconic event of 2023. But only for the Russian space industry. Unfortunately, it will be a regular event for global astronautics,” the specialist noted.
Automated missions will explore the area where in the future, the International scientific lunar station may be, which the Russian Federation is developing together with China. This year, Roscosmos CEO Yury Borisov announced that an agreement on cooperation on the international scientific lunar station has been signed with China.
Russia in Top-3
Experts believe that at the moment, Russia can hardly be called the leader in the global space industry. However, they point out that it is currently incredibly difficult to define who the leader is and who lags behind.
"The space industry is not a solid entity; there are many areas, and, in some areas, for example, in manned space flights, Russia Is definitely in first or second place. As for navigation systems, we also work rather effectively. We lag somewhat in remote Earth probing systems, but we already have plans to develop and increase our satellite group in the near future. As for Internet trade systems and similar multi-satellite systems, Russia, of course, is behind the US and China for now,” Zheleznyakov said. “But, if we take an aggregate approach, then we are in the top three. I would not dare to assign places, but still, Russia remains one of the leaders in space.”
Currently, there are only three countries that have demonstrated the ability to send people into space – Russia, the US and China.
"China, of course, achieved manned space missions independently, while the US has been using our services for 11 years, as they had no means to send astronauts to the ISS. So here, perhaps, Russia is ahead; although the Americans have developed a more modern spacecraft, our Soyuz has once again proved its reliability,” says Igor Marinin.