Russia plays down space-flight ‘hysteria’
But agency says it’s ‘wonderful’ both countries successful
MOSCOW • Russia’s space agency criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s “hysteria” about the first space flight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nine years, but also said on Sunday it was pleased there was now another way to travel into space.
Spacex, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, launched two Americans into orbit on Saturday en route to the International Space Station (ISS), a landmark mission that ended Russia’s monopoly on flights there.
Trump, who observed the launch, said the United States had regained its place as the world’s leader in space, that U.S. astronauts would soon land on Mars, and that Washington would soon have “the greatest weapons ever imagined in history.”
NASA had had to rely on Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, to get to the ISS since its final space shuttle flight in 2011, and Trump hailed what he said was the end of being at the mercy of foreign nations. The U.S. success will potentially deprive Roscosmos, which has suffered corruption scandals and a number of malfunctions, of the lucrative fees it charged to take U.S. astronauts to the ISS.
“The hysteria raised after the successful launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft is hard to understand,” Vladimir Ustimenko, spokesman for Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter after citing Trump’s statement.
“What has happened should have happened long ago. Now it’s not only the Russians flying to the ISS, but also the Americans. Well that’s wonderful!”
The Crew Dragon capsule delivered NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the space station on Sunday, nearly 24 hours after the launch. The space station’s current crew welcomed them aboard with hugs and handshakes on schedule at 1:25 p.m. EDT, after executing a critical spacecraft docking milestone and kicking off the crew’s potentially monthslong stay in the orbital laboratory.
Applause could be heard from the station’s downlink to mission control in Houston, Texas.
“I will tell you, the whole world saw this mission, and we are so, so proud for everything you have done for our country and in fact to inspire the world,” NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said on a phone line through mission control.
“It’s great to get the United States back in the crewed launch business, and we’re just really glad to be on board this magnificent complex,” Hurley said.
Behnken said he and Hurley were able to get a few hours’ sleep during their 19-hour orbital journey, telling the administrator that “the first night is always a little bit of a challenge, but the Dragon is a slick vehicle and we had good airflow so we had an excellent evening.”
Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin congratulated Bridenstine for the success.
“Bravo! I know how anxious you were for this major event to become a success,” Rogozin wrote on Twitter.
Rogozin said he had appreciated a barbed joke by Musk referencing his own 2014 barb that the United States should try using a trampoline to get to the ISS. Musk told a post-launch news conference “the trampoline is working.”
Ustimenko said Russia planned to test two new rockets this year and to resume its lunar program next year.
“It will be interesting,” said Ustimenko.
Boeing Co, which is producing its own launch system in competition with Spacex, is expected to fly its CST100 Starliner vehicle with astronauts aboard for the first time next year. NASA has awarded nearly $8 billion combined to Spacex and Boeing for development of their rival rockets.