STAR CITY, Russia — Five years of capitalism have created a new face for Russia's space program, and it is starting to look a lot like its longtime rival: corporate America.
At once-secret Soviet facilities, Russian and American engineers now work together to design and build space vehicles. U.S. firms such as Lockheed Martin and Hughes Electronics collaborate with Russia on commercial satellite launches. Astronauts and cosmonauts train side by side for joint missions in space.
At the factory where Russian spacecraft are built, a huge new Proton rocket bears the freshly painted logo of the company it will serve: Motorola. At mission control, Russian scientists work with Boeing on a plan to launch rockets from an oceangoing platform that will be based in Long Beach. And in a deal with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, satellites to expand access to the Internet will be put in orbit by Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles.
What was once a space race has become a joint venture.
"International cooperation is the next step in exploring space," said cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, a rocket engineer training for his first trip into the cosmos. "We are joining efforts and getting new expertise and experience that we could not get separately."
During the Cold War, the space industry was one of the favored sectors of the Soviet economy, with vast resources at its disposal. The Soviet Union's accomplishments--including putting the first human in orbit--created a sense of national pride and bolstered the Communist nation's image as a superpower.
But Russia's transition to a market economy has reduced the space program to less than 30% of its former size and left scientists scrambling to find ways to pay for their projects. Today, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the survival of the Russian space program hinges on its newfound partnership with the United States.
Although critics in both countries have raised questions about the increased U.S. role here, Russia has much to offer foreign partners willing to take risks: With 25 years' experience operating manned space stations, for example, its scientists have expertise and equipment that could take the United States years and billions of dollars to duplicate.
"We must work together," said Gen. Alexei Leonov, Russia's greatest living cosmonaut and the first person to walk in space. "We'll spend less using our mutual experience. It's very beneficial for the Americans. You don't need to invent the bicycle again, do you?"
