Russia's Space Program

TO THE WOULD-BE OBSERVER of Russia's space program today, the barrage of confusing claims from experts both inside and outside the country can easily be overwhelmiiig. Apparently, bankruptcy and collapse are imminent: the two top Russian officials, one civilian and one military! have each stated that the nation‘s space activity is in crisis and might even be forced to a standstill. Yet the industry still produces hardware, the rockets still fly, their ground controllers still operate distant spacecraft, and the cosmonauts aboard Mir still maintain their watch on orbit. In fact, the Russian space infrastructure has been pronounced robust and the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site ”superb (in the words of US. Vice President AI Gore). How can these opposites be reconciled?