Russian space agency unveils plan 2 permanently base dozen cosmonauts on moon

From: NATIONAL POST: WORLD

FULL TITLE:
Russian space agency unveils grandiose plan to permanently base a dozen cosmonauts on the moon

by Nick Faris
22 June2016

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news.nationalpost.com...
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Despite years of budget cuts, Roscosmos — Russia’s space program — has designs on building a permanent research, mining and exploration base somewhere on the moon by 2030, Russian newspaper Izvestia reported Tuesday.
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It would be a massive — and some would say unlikely — achievement for a country that has never landed a human on the moon. It would also help ease a decades-old sting: losing out on the Cold War-era “Space Race” to the United States, which culminated in July 1969 with Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the lunar surface.
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“At the first stage, the moon base will be manned by no more than two to four people, with their number later rising (to) 10-12 people,” Roscosmos spokeswoman Olga Zharova told Izvestia.
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SOUNDS exciting.
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And risky.
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Do they have anti-grav ships to make it easier, too?
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Have the critters given them the green light to do it?
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Is this all more Kabuki theater?
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I wonder what % the chance is that this will really come to pass. I think I'd rate it at maybe 15% to 20% on a good day.
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Maybe ATSers with more knowledge could rate it higher? Lower?
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What do you think would be the major things in the way--IF--they decided to dedicate the money to it--as they may be doing???
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a reply to: BO XIAN

YES! SPACE RACE SPACE RACE SPACE RACE! Lets see who wins, USA, China, Russia, Japan, Brazil or India?? I think either Japan or China will actually be first, but we shall see.

a reply to: AmericanRealist

China, India or Japan would not surprise me. Nor would Russia, IF they decided to go for it in a big enough way.

I still think that our tech infrastructure is a lot more . . . insecure . . . than most citizens think.

Time will tell. Part of me hopes they manage it before things fall apart. But I don't expect it.

a reply to: BO XIAN

We have the capability, and even the capital. it just seems the political will is absent and the society is apathetic. What a shame, people use to want our country to succeed. But our current president was more interested in trying to destroy us from within instead. i say trying, because although he made some serious damage, he has not destroyed us, and we will stand proud when we take it all back, by force if we have too!

a reply to: AmericanRealist

I'd like to believe you're right about taking the Republic back from their long scheduled destructions.

Time will tell.

I don't believe we'll be 100% destroyed but so close as to not be worth quibbling over. Sigh.

I would love to see this happen. I don't know why it hasn't happened already, actually. I think it is possible, for sure. Ok , I have no more to add. I'm just hoping it happens.

If you go back and look: Russia has been saying that they will put someone on the moon since 2011 (at least).

No kidding, just Google it. The date seems to be 2029 or 2030 depending on which news article you take a look at.

They have been saying this every year. Last time was in the Fall of 2015....

Sorry for being skeptical, but all we are seeing mostly is all talk, no do. I'd love to see someone get back up there....but not seeing a whole lot going on for it.

5 years after JFK told NASA that we were going to the moon, we were doing the Gemini missions, and the USSR was doing their Voskhod missions.

So.....2011 to now? Anyone see anything going on?

Less talk, more do.

a reply to: eriktheawful
that seems to be the point for me.
nothing...has been going on for quite some time.
wonder why?

a reply to: eriktheawful

I'm not discounting what you say, but, why? Why would they say it, but not really mean it? What gain does it provide?

a reply to: Ellie Sagan
who will take the first step i wonder...
and who will be left shuffling their feet.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

Countries say that they are going to do something, or are planning to do something all the time, and end up either not doing it, or taking it in a different direction.

That's just how the world is and works.

Sometimes they really mean what they say, but for whatever reason, it ends up not happening, or delayed quite a bit.

Many times it ends up being a lack of funding.

Going to the moon isn't cheap nor easy...not with people. However, both the US did it in less than 10 years, and the Soviets almost did it (it was a very close race).

Now Russia has been talking about doing it since at least 2011...with a target day almost 20 years later......

That's twice the amount of time it took last time.

The US, or at least the current government of the US has turned it's back on the moon as far as manned missions and are instead shooting for Mars. However, the US is actually doing something: all the tests they have done for the Orion space craft. Engine tests for a new heavy launch vehicle, and just 3 days ago, tested a new booster for the SLS system.

I've looked and I'm not quite finding anything Russia has done to go forward with their moon plans....other than say they are going to do it.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

It would sure be a kick to watch.

I just keep remembering that verse . . .

"Though you make your nests among the stars, yet will I bring you down."

a reply to: eriktheawful

Great points.

What do you think is going on with all such blather and no action?

a reply to: eriktheawful
you have to wonder....
what happened to those great boosters we used to have?
took us to the moon many times.
now we cant figure it out?

a reply to: eriktheawful

well these things take time, it does not happen overnight. If we would have stuck to Bush's plan, we coulda already been well on our way. But someone had to cancel the project and try and subvert our nation for nearly a decade , so it looks like were going to miss that deadline.

a reply to: eriktheawful

Shoot, any number of billionaires could fund it, individually.

Certainly they could fund it collectively.

Why haven't they?

The Russian space agency has a lot to live up to with the promises it makes ,space stations and now Moon bases , It is just a pity all these Governments did not get together and spend some of the money they have for weapons to destroy each other many times over and spend it on space exploration .

It would give the children of earth something to believe in again , instead of a grown up kid still waiting for them to get to Mars 40 years later

a reply to: autopat51

I still believe we have anti-grav or some such exotic type ships that could make the journey in a few hours or less.

There must be a huge factor that we are clueless about, imho.

Maybe the critters really did forbid us to come back.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: eriktheawful

Shoot, any number of billionaires could fund it, individually.

Certainly they could fund it collectively.

Why haven't they?

Uhm....it's still a bit expensive for even a handful of billionairs.

The Apollo program cost a total of about 110 billion dollars in today's money. Of course that included all the moon shots, but the bulk of the cost was in the R and D of the vehicles, and of course getting them manufacture.

Can't just go to the store and buy a F1 rocket engine. Entire factories had to be built and manned in order to produce a lot of the large parts that were used.

a reply to: BO XIAN
it would seem something happened.
the saturn V booster gave us space...and travel.
then...it went away and we forgot the moon...strange