[FPSPACE] Russian space prowess

[Phillip Clark]

On Wed, 9 Aug 2000, Sven Grahn wrote:

> I note with some sadness that nobody on this listserver has commented on
> the very impressive display of Russian/FSU space technology, especially in
> the field of launch vehicles and space operations during the past 2-3 months:

Careful Sven.

You'll be accused of being anti-American if you dare to suggest that the
Russians know what they are doing !

Can anyone imagine the US having the capability to launch four Saturn-1Bs
or four Titan-3/4s in the space of 19 days - as the Russians have now done
with the Proton-K - _twice_ ?

My somewhat limited experience is that the media are only interested in
reporting failures, not successes.   Last month the one-day launch delay
of the first Cluster-2 launch got more coverage than did the successful
launch.   And today's launch seems to have had pretty-well zero coverage.

"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all" -
Zimmy, 1965.

Phillip Clark

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip S Clark                                     22 Winterbourne Close
Molniya Space Consultancy                           Hastings
Compiler/Publisher, Worldwide Satellite Launches    E Sussex  TN34 1XG
                                                    U.K.

Specialist in "space archeology" - the older and more obscure the more 
interesting it is !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------