""Orange" realities of Ukrainian cosmonautics" (Sea Launch Troubles Ahead?)

I'm not quite sure what to make of this interesting RIA Novosti
opinion piece. ("Orange" realities of Ukrainian cosmonautics)

"http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20051215/42504406.html"

Written by Yuri Zaitsev, of the Russian Academy of Sciences'
Space Research Institute, the piece sounds an ominous tone
about Ukraine's space ventures, especially Zenit (Sea and
Land Launch). Ukraine won't be launching any rockets, the
message seems to be, unless its government keeps Russia
happy.

- Ed Kyle

Ed Kyle wrote:
I'm not quite sure what to make of this interesting RIA Novosti
opinion piece. ("Orange" realities of Ukrainian cosmonautics)

"http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20051215/42504406.html"

Written by Yuri Zaitsev, of the Russian Academy of Sciences'
Space Research Institute, the piece sounds an ominous tone
about Ukraine's space ventures, especially Zenit (Sea and
Land Launch). Ukraine won't be launching any rockets, the
message seems to be, unless its government keeps Russia
happy.

Interesting... Ukraine is craving to be more western so much
that the space program is considered expendable.
Of course, everyone wants to be with the Russians since they
have very good engines and technology / knowhow. What engines
are manufactured in Ukraine then?

I still wonder what are the Russians so angry about? Do they
consider that Ukraine should still be in their control
somehow? Maybe separation can never go without hard feelings.
Russia anyway happily sells RD-180:s to their former arch
enemy, USA. (I wonder why didn't Atlas V turn out cheaper
after all.)

I think money speaks here. For example, the natural gas pipes
flowing west from Russia never had any disruptions even though
tanks were shooting on the streets of Moscow.

meiza wrote:
Ed Kyle wrote:
I'm not quite sure what to make of this interesting RIA Novosti
opinion piece. ("Orange" realities of Ukrainian cosmonautics)

"http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20051215/42504406.html"

Written by Yuri Zaitsev, of the Russian Academy of Sciences'
Space Research Institute, the piece sounds an ominous tone
about Ukraine's space ventures, especially Zenit (Sea and
Land Launch). Ukraine won't be launching any rockets, the
message seems to be, unless its government keeps Russia
happy.

Interesting... Ukraine is craving to be more western so much
that the space program is considered expendable.
Of course, everyone wants to be with the Russians since they
have very good engines and technology / knowhow. What engines
are manufactured in Ukraine then?

I still wonder what are the Russians so angry about? Do they
consider that Ukraine should still be in their control
somehow? Maybe separation can never go without hard feelings.

Russia is upset about Ukraine leaning toward Europe
and possibly putting NATO right on Moscow's doorstep.
Russia is unhappy about Ukraine allowing Western
entities access to formerly Soviet radar and missile
information, etc..

Russia anyway happily sells RD-180:s to their former arch
enemy, USA. (I wonder why didn't Atlas V turn out cheaper
after all.)

The problem is that Lockheed (or any U.S. defense contractor
for that matter) doesn't know how to build things "cheaper".

I think money speaks here. For example, the natural gas pipes
flowing west from Russia never had any disruptions even though
tanks were shooting on the streets of Moscow.

Russia gets the lion's share of Zenit profits, so it would seem
to be self-defeating for Russia to shut down Sea Launch or
Land Launch. It might depend on whether Boeing or
Lockheed have more influence in Moscow!

This week, Russia annouced that it would cut off natural
gas supplies to Ukraine if Ukraine did not agree to pay
three times as much as before. Russia said that it would
still ship natural gas *through* Ukraine to Europe, but just
in case Russia also announced plans to build an undersea
gas line to Germany to bypass Ukraine.

- Ed Kyle