Russian Federal Space Agency

It was a surreal time warp to the bowels of neo-depressing Stalinesque architecture and into an uneven cement cocoon housing a dozen gleaming jewels – sundry space satellites in development – to explore Venus and various Moons.

I saw Electra, micro-satellites, modular satellite components, Solar sails, unfolding parabolic dishes, Helium 3 mining from the regolith, and a telescope for the dark side of the moon.

Our host, the Engineering Director, has been there since 1971, and we had lunch at the facility (photo below).

I asked him what the areas needed attention and were not getting it:
1) asteroid protection (land a satellite with hooks and use a motor to move the asteroid)
2) satellite refueling
3) dark matter study

And then he reflected:
“Looking back, it was crazy the risk we put the astronauts through on the space race.”

Although he did not speak English, he seemed to relish my translated story from Neil Armstrong on his greatest fear before Apollo 11.

I waited to get out of the country before posting many Moscow shots. Maybe it’s just a superstition, but it’s good to be back.

Speaking of space, I am heading to SpaceX mission control this evening for the Falcon1 Launch.

You can watch the live webcast this afternoon, and the launch is currently scheduled for 7:30 PST today.