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.