Russia steps into NASA's place on upcoming ESA Mars plans The European Space Agency has approved an agreement to get Russian help for the ExoMars missions that NASA dropped out of. The ESA, which just finished its annual ministerial council meeting, said that Roscosmos would get the Martian missions in 2016 and 2018 off the ground with its Proton rockets, sending first a satellite to …
Regarding "How are they taking over exactly?", I was referring to this specific instance. The USA pulled out, Russia picked up what they dropped. Of course Russia has been in the game longer - Yuri Gagarin holds the particular medal of honor as the first human in space, I believe.
for UK space policy.
I imaging the Iron Lady will be clanking around the old homestead tonight.
Sort of like a game of musical chairs. NASA "outsources" the service module (it's quite a bit more than *just* an engine) to ESA while pulling back on Mars while the Russians step in to do Mars transport.
The "ESA two step " anyone?
"I would like to see some funding go towards Skylon, get that off the ground!"
Actually some already *has*.
But REL are *very* cautious about how much government cash they accept. *No* one wants another Concorde situation.
BTW ESA is *very* keen on Just Returne so the more cash you put in the more work you get out (on a programme by programme basis). So a fair chunk of that £20m is likely to come back to UK jobs.
For one, as an American he's more inclined than us British to blow his own trumpet, so to speak. Americans typically shout out louder regarding their achievements, whilst that's regarded as comparatively vulgar over here. Not saying that that's good or bad, or that all Americans do it - it's just a lot more common "over there". Secondly, he's a salesman. He wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't push his own solution over a competitor's. Especially when he owns the company.
Besides that, SpaceX is a young, brash company. Give them a decade or so, and they'll also be able to quietly sit back with a spectacular track record and say "why, yes we have!" (hopefully). Good luck to them.
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