What is not visible in the moonlight?
Seeing the passing year, I want to talk about the results for our space program. The year, as our president will say in a couple of days, was not easy, the year was difficult. The enterprises were in a fever, in general, the whole space industry was shaking so weakly. Projects were born, died, crumbled to dust and dust, but nevertheless, we should probably talk about the steps in space exploration that have been taken.
China has made a significant step. His plan for the exploration of the moon was correct and clearly worked out. Not only were they brought, they also successfully landed their Chang'e 4 lunar rover on the far side of the moon.
It was possible to congratulate the Chinese conquerors of the universe, they were the first who could do this.
Others were eager for the Moon, just some Year of the Moon turned out, but alas, the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet and the Indian Chandrayaan-2 crashed on the surface of the satellite.
However, the road will be overpowered by the one who walks, or, if we say, using the folklore of the winners, “the journey of a thousand begins with one step.”
Few people succeed the first time. But let's see, apparently, the Indian and Israeli flags on the lunar surface are a matter of time.
It would be interesting to talk about the Russian lunar program if ... however, okay.
Fast forward to Mars. The benefit of the flight of thought allows.
On Mars, the Americans rule the ball. Yes, they lost one rover, “Opportunity”, the connection with which was broken during the Martian dust storm last year, and it was not possible to restore it. NASA explained that the rover could not recharge the batteries, probably the solar panels were damaged or clogged with dust.
“Opportunity” was debited, although it actually worked much more than the planned 90 days.
Currently, the Mars rover "Curiosity", which landed in August 2012, is still operating on Mars.
Plus, the stationary geophysical mission Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight), which appeared on the plain of Elysius in November 2018.
In general, the USA on Mars feels, if not at home, then quite freely. Master slowly.
We are up to them, unfortunately ... as before Mars.
Flying further? We are flying. Next we have asteroids. And on the asteroids - the Japanese.
More precisely, a full-fledged representative of Japan, the interplanetary station Hayabusa 2, which operated until November in orbit around the Ryugu asteroid. The Japanese probe landed on the surface of the asteroid and even bombed it from orbit. A natural explosive bomb to simulate a collision with another celestial body.
Moreover, "Hayabusa 2" was able to collect the fragments formed during the explosion and is now carrying them to Earth.
It is probably worth noting separately that even at the beginning of the Hayabusa 2 mission, a pair of mini-robotslaunched from the probe, made the first stories successful soft landing on an asteroid. Including robots took photographs of the surface and transmitted them to the probe.
The distance from Earth to Ryugu is approximately 280 kilometers.
This is exclusively for management issues. Hayabusa 2 robots undocked from the machine, landed in a given area, took a photo and transmitted them. Well, for mini-robots - a very wonderful job.
Of course, they are very far from the Russian android Fedi, who "worked" on the ISS. Slightly less, of course, than 280 million kilometers, but still.
The Americans here (in the sense, in the asteroid belt) are also present. Their OSIRIS-REx device arrived at the asteroid Benoit and is also doing something there.
And finally, what we are traditionally strong at. Or we think that they are traditionally strong. That is manned manned flights.
The outgoing 2019 was marked by many events. The first is the flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which took off, flew to the ISS, docked to the American Harmony module, then was undocked and returned to Earth.
The mission set out to verify all the components and systems of the ship and was recognized as successful.
In general, this mission actually means the loss by Russia of a monopoly on the delivery of astronauts to the ISS. It is worth noting that one astronaut brought to the ISS replenished the budget of Roscosmos by $ 80 million. Apparently, someone will have to tighten their belts.
But this is only half the battle. The second half is the American Starliner from Boeing, which, although it could not catch the ISS and dock to it due to a software error, it demonstrated that it is able to go into orbit, fly there and fall back.
Americans are generally strong in their competition. "Boeing" no less than SpaceX, I would like to nibble on the space budget, so I’m sure that the programmers will be punished tolerantly and forced to fix all the flaws. And the Starliner will fly, or rather, learn to fly to the ISS. He already knows the rest.
What about us? How do we look?
We look great. The role of "bombing" on the "sixes" is our everything. Let instead of “shokhi” we have the “Union”, which is only fifty years old, the main thing is that we once were ahead of everyone. And this must be remembered, proud and all that.
No, of course, one must be proud of the feat of the Queen and Gagarin. It’s just that the past will not fly far, alas, and today's day is a vivid example of this. While all progressive countries are exploring the Moon, Mars, flying on asteroids, we regularly carry Americans to the ISS and supply them with everything necessary. Reducing its presence, since there is nowhere specifically for us to work there, there are no extra places on the ISS in scientific modules.
Meanwhile, only “shokha”, aka “Union”, remains for us. With the former “Federation” or, in a new way, “Eagle”, everything is still complicated.
The spacecraft is very expensive, very heavy, and there is really no launch vehicle for it, that is, we cannot fly to the moon, it’s expensive to the ISS. Because "Union", and this is where all the achievements end.
I would love to talk about achievements, honestly. Already I foresee how especially rabid patriots will blame me for this, but what should I do? What can one be proud of if American, Japanese, Indian, Chinese and any flag other than Russian are on all human achievements?
I honestly tried to find at least something. Found.
Launch of the Russian-German Observatory "Spectrum-RG" ("Spectrum-X-ray-Gamma"). It was launched in July after a bunch of transfers from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. But in the end they launched it. This is a useful thing, considering that the last time we successfully launched something already in 2011. It was a Spektr-R radio telescope.
And "Spectrum-RG" will allow you to do a full review of the sky in the x-ray range.
But even here there is a fly in the ointment, alas. The multipurpose Navigator platform is produced by the Lavochkin Design Bureau. Our. The ART-XC telescope also seems to be ours. But ... domestic mirrors were poorly made, so it was impossible to use them.
Helped out ... right, the Americans!
At the Marshall Space Center (submission to NASA, USA), mirrors were made for the Russian telescope. With them he flew to the place of service.
Actually, that’s all. I would very much like to talk about the achievements of the Russian cosmonautics, but it’s not at all my fault that all the achievements today consist in renaming everything in a row: ships, factories and the like. Alas.
In the meantime, Mr. Rogozin and the company are having fun with games with the former Soviet legacy, it remains for us with quiet sadness to observe how American, European, Chinese, Japanese and other (not Russian) ships plow the open spaces of the Solar System.
And console yourself with the phrase "But we were the first."
Only twenty years later at such a pace of “development” with consolation this will be very weak.
And yes, back to the headline. So what is not visible in the moonlight? That's right, at least some achievements of the Russian cosmonautics. True, they cannot be distinguished even in the sun. Unfortunately.
Information