re: Russian Dreams Of Reaching Mars First
No doubt in my mind they could and would do it, if the money was there, and for a lot less than we would spend.
The Russians are much less risk averse, and still have the space pioneering spirit. I’m a little surprised the EU didn’t fund the Clipper outright.
Russian spacecraft design and EU bucks would be a fast track to BIG space capability.
A Clipper (I know, it’s been cancelled) with a full scale Bigelow inflatable, and a small fission reactor power/propulsion system, the Russians would own Mars.
More power to them.