Jan 3, 2025 06:53 PM
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/ru...d-tragedy/
EXCERPTS: . . . It's remarkable, of course, that Russia has flown the basic core of a rocket for 58 years. And this total of 2,000 launches is unlikely to be matched any time soon. China's family of Long March rockets, which have had far more variability in design than Russia's Semyorka boosters, is approaching 500 total launches. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has now launched more than 400 times. However, the company will probably phase out this workhorse booster within the next decade or so as the Starship vehicle takes over.
[...] Although it's certainly worth commemorating the 2,000th launch of the R-7 family of rockets, the fleet's longevity also offers a cautionary tale. In many respects, the Russian space program continues to coast on the legacy of Korolev and the Soviet space feats of the 1950s and 1960s. That Russia has not developed a more cost-competitive and efficient booster in nearly six decades reveals the truth about its space program: It lacks innovation at a time when the rest of the space industry is rapidly sprinting toward reusability... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: . . . It's remarkable, of course, that Russia has flown the basic core of a rocket for 58 years. And this total of 2,000 launches is unlikely to be matched any time soon. China's family of Long March rockets, which have had far more variability in design than Russia's Semyorka boosters, is approaching 500 total launches. SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has now launched more than 400 times. However, the company will probably phase out this workhorse booster within the next decade or so as the Starship vehicle takes over.
[...] Although it's certainly worth commemorating the 2,000th launch of the R-7 family of rockets, the fleet's longevity also offers a cautionary tale. In many respects, the Russian space program continues to coast on the legacy of Korolev and the Soviet space feats of the 1950s and 1960s. That Russia has not developed a more cost-competitive and efficient booster in nearly six decades reveals the truth about its space program: It lacks innovation at a time when the rest of the space industry is rapidly sprinting toward reusability... (MORE - missing details)