Russia's Space Program Decline: No Crewed Lunar Missions for a Decade

Russia has officially announced it will not conduct any manned deep-space or lunar missions for the next decade, marking a significant decline in its space capabilities. This admission comes from Lev Zeleny, the scientific director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute, during the Russian Space Forum. In 2025, Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, executed only 17 orbital launches, a number that matches New Zealand's total and ties with the lowest launch rates since the 1960s. The ongoing war in Ukraine has diverted funding away from space exploration, contributing to the stagnation of Russia's space program. Technical failures have plagued recent launch attempts, with three out of 20 planned launches for 2026 already delayed. Russia's focus appears to be shifting towards militarizing its space assets rather than pursuing scientific exploration. The decline in launch capabilities reflects a broader geopolitical shift in space dominance, with the U.S. and China leading in space exploration and technology.

Key Points: • Russia will not launch any manned lunar missions for at least a decade. • In 2025, Russia's launch rate was the lowest since the 1960s, matching New Zealand's total. • Technical failures and funding issues due to the Ukraine war are severely impacting Russia's space program.