Energia near bankruptcy

[rsa_4]

Some sad news from CNN:<br /><br /><font color="yellow"> MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- Russia's main producer of spacecraft is to be put into emergency administration to fight off bankruptcy, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted the company's chief as saying on Tuesday.<br /><br />The Energia Rocket and Space Corporation is the main Russian contractor for the international space station and also makes satellites and rockets. It was unclear if Russia's space program would be affected.<br /><br />"We intend to introduce emergency administration for the corporation, because the financial idealism that existed here has led not to flights to the moon, but to bankruptcy," Interfax quoted company chairman Vitaly Lopota as saying.<br /><br />In April, Nikolai Sevastianov, who headed Energia at the time, told the Vedomosti daily the company was working on a new space transport system that could eventually lead to the industrial development of the moon</font><br />

 

[JonClarke]

Nothing on the web site as yet. http://www.energia.ru/english/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

They probably wouldn't be in a big rush to get it up on their website <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[nuaetius]

God I hate this, the PAROM was about the best idea I have ever seen come out of a national space program. Would have saved tones of money.

 

[para3]

Well, that is democracy at work for you. The Russians are in much worse shape now that they have a democracy. And it doesn't surprise me if Energia is going bankrupt. I remember one time the electricity was turned off because the space agency couldn't pay the electric bill.<br /><br />When I went to Russia the first time, democracy in that country was only a few years old. But, the place still felt very communistic to me with a very heavy military presence on each corner and in the middle of the block. They were still in good fanancial shape and the people were really nice and helpful. The Russians looked forward to seeing Americans come and I couldn't had a warmer reception. I was really treated great.<br /><br />Things started going to h ell the second time I went over with many nasty people who treated Americans like dirt. I had to file complaints against 2 Russians the second time there. The military was replaced with a police force which I was hard pressed to see a cop anywhere there. So I didn't feel as safe as when the military filled the streets. Crime is up and store owners only turned on their lights when a customer would come and back off when the customer left. <br /><br />Just because Democracy has been successful here in the USA don't necessarily mean that it will work for another country like Russia. And in my humble opinion, it isn't working.<br /><br />Because Russia has become so unsafe now with all the bombings and murders, I will be staying with a Russian family instead of in a hotel if I'm crazy enough to go there again. I was informed of this when I was over there the last time because it has become so unsafe. <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font size="3" color="#99cc00">.....Shuttle me up before I get tooooooooo old and feeble.....</font></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong><font size="4" color="#ff6600">---Happiness is winning a huge lottery--- </font></strong></p> </div>

 

[kosmonavtkaa]

According to this post at FP Space, the "bankruptcy" is a slight mistranslation...<br /><br /><font color="orange">What Lopota said is: "The financial idealism that the previous Corporation leadership had <b>was leading</b> not to the flights to the moon, but to bankruptcy".<br /><br /> What Reuters/CNN said is following: "We intend to introduce emergency administration for the corporation, because the financial idealism that existed here <b>has led</b> not to flights to the moon, but to bankruptcy," Interfax quoted company chairman Vitaly Lopota as saying.</font><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[extropiandreams]

I don't know what you're talking about. I've been to moscow a couple of weeks ago. it's the most booming city in europe. it's as safe or dangerous as new york, and i don't know of any recent "bombings". russia has 417 billion dollars currency reserves plus a 127 billion stabilization fund. it's debt is below 10 % of gdp. Compare that with the us where just the state has 9 trillion dollars debt. so this isn't a problem. since energia is a strategic company it won't go bankrupt. russia could go to mars at any time. it has allready earned the money to do so. it's only a question of priorities. the russia of 2007 is not the russia of 1998.

 

[JonClarke]

Let's not forget the 6.8% average growth rate over the 8 years from 1998 (average 7.9% for the first quarter of 2007). Given the multiple difficulties they were faced with in 1998 they have done extraordinarily well.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>