Dmitry Bakanov, the Director-General of Roscosmos, recently stated that a pivotal motivation for Elon Musk in developing his own rockets, spacecraft, and vast satellite constellations stemmed from an unsuccessful visit to Russia. During this trip, according to Bakanov, Musk`s proposals «were not heard.»
Bakanov remarked that Musk, metaphorically «gritting his teeth,» proceeded to develop not only advanced rockets and spacecraft but also an entirely new orbital grouping. He further emphasized the sheer scale of Musk`s ventures, noting that out of approximately 10,000 active spacecraft currently orbiting Earth, a remarkable 8,000 belong to Elon Musk`s Starlink constellation.
Despite this dominance, Russia remains undeterred. Plans are underway for a private Russian company to launch its first cluster of communication satellites by the end of 2025. This initial phase is projected to include 300 satellites, with a subsequent expansion to around 900 spacecraft in the second stage, Bakanov added.
Earlier, Errol Musk, Elon`s father, recounted at the `Future Forum 2050` that in the nascent stages of his son`s space ambitions, Elon attempted to acquire a rocket in Russia. However, his inquiry was reportedly dismissed as a joke and ultimately rejected. Following this incident, his father explained, Elon, alongside a dedicated team, embarked on independently developing rockets in California, a venture that ultimately led to the establishment of SpaceX.
Further corroborating this account, a participant in the negotiations with the Russian company `Kosmotras` confirmed that in the early 2000s, Musk indeed met with their representatives. However, he concluded the meeting and did not return after being quoted the price for the launch services.
