A private company launching humans into space could mark the end of a decade-long association between the U.S and Russian space program.

Source: The Moscow Times

With a successful launch of SpaceX,  Russia no longer remains the only country that is able to transport humans into space!

The Russian Space agency congratulated the United States and SpaceX for achieving a great milestone by transporting humans into space on a private vehicle. However, professionals said that the mission should be considered a “wakeup call” for Roscosmos.

Source-CNN

Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, Rocosmos executive director for crewed space programmes, said in a video statement, “The success of the mission will provide us with additional opportunities that will benefit the whole international programme.”

Saturday’s launch marks the beginning of the new era of human transportation into space and the first of American astronauts carried into space from the American soil. Before that, Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft had complete dominance over the space transporting crews.

On a broader perspective, the emergence of a rival private company SpaceX stepping  into the space business should be a “wakeup call” for the Russian space industry, which Ionin indicates as “in far worse shape than those in charge admit.”

The space race is now evolved and no longer restricted between countries as the competition gets even tougher with the rise of a private company such as SpaceX. Russia was far behind all the space missions but still managed to maintain its monopoly in transporting humans into space. However, thanks to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Russia’s monopoly bites the dust as they successfully launched astronauts into space.

“When we were losing the launch market, Roscosmos said everything was fine because we were the only ones sending people up to the ISS. Now that fig has fallen off,” said Ionin.

While SpaceX is aiming to conquer Mars with its new space missions, it could jeopardize Russia’s stand and leave them irrecoverably far behind at this space race, said experts.

Russia’s Space agency once dominated the space race by sending the first man into space in 1961 and launching the first satellites four years earlier. However, it has lost its dominance in the space world and fallen victim to corruption and multiple scandals within the agency. The Russian Space industry has endured major setbacks in recent years, including losing expensive spacecraft and satellites.