A former Roscosmos engineer described his work clearly in a Reddit AMA: instead of conquering space, we get an image of an institution locked in a museum past, managed by politics, not ambition. 1.5 years of experience of an anonymous employee shows the gap between what Russia declares and what it is actually able to do.
According to the engineer, the first impressions of Roscosmos were more museum-like than futuristic: everywhere there were monuments to old designers, showcases with prototypes, old capsules, and an atmosphere inside that was more reminiscent of a state archive. He may have entered the Soyuz – the symbol of the Soviet and Russian program – but that one moment only underlined the difference between the pride of the past and the stagnation of the present.
In his opinion, today’s management of Roscosmos focuses mainly on political projects: they are mainly concerned with building their own orbital station, which basically has little to do with real space exploration. And interestingly, it is not the lack of technology that is the problem, but the direction in which some “strong head” is pulling this whole peloton of shame and pathos-filled functioning.
Respect or fear?
Contrary to anti-Western political rhetoric, ordinary plant engineers had a positive attitude towards NASA and European partners. Successful projects were mentioned and foreign astronauts were spoken with respect, however there were comments laced with homophobia or anti-Ukrainian propaganda. However, they were not dominant: fortunately. Let us remember that even among Russians there are normal people.
The most common complaints were low wages and the fact that the plants were located in neglected places. No wonder, because they use places that had to be hidden from the world during the Cold War. In comparison, the Crew Dragon made a great impression on employees, and even the Starliner, despite its problems, was viewed favorably in terms of design.
The technology exists, but there is no ambition
The most interesting project for the creator of the thread on Reddit was Orel – a new Russian manned spacecraft, technically much more modern than Soyuz. The problem is that Orel seems to have focused on Microsoft and its earlier, iconic “soon” strategy, because its development has been going on for about… twenty years. The rest of the equipment used by Roscosmos looks similar: these are mainly designs from 2000–2010 that do not disappoint, but do not give any advantage over the rest. You know, crap, not crap. Post-Soviet clumsiness.
The technologies are there, but the lack of funds, organization and sensible planning means that the program is, sadly, at a standstill. From his perspective, Russia has no real plan for a manned landing on the Moon, and announcements about interplanetary nuclear probes are more of a muscle-flexing exercise despite a real lack of resources and ambitions. Decision-makers focus mainly on satellites and military-related projects.
Navigation, radiation and organizational chaos
The most surprising aspect of the work turned out to be navigation in space – there are no fixed reference points there, and orientation is based only on stars and mathematical models. In addition, there is radiation, which constantly poses a threat to electronics and people. These things gave Roscosmos difficulties.
But an even bigger problem was organizational chaos: frequent visits by military officers who introduced noise and disorder into the office, and situations in which superiors openly demanded participation in political actions. The author of the thread was told to vote for Putin and appear at a propaganda event. He refused, but emphasizes that it was an unpleasant and risky moment. Independent thinking in the post-Soviet system is not advisable.
From engineer to physics student
After the contract ended, he decided to leave. There were many reasons: low salaries, lack of meaningful prospects and the increasingly stifling atmosphere of the institution in which politics began to come to the fore. Paradoxically, it was his first serious job in line with his competences – he had previously been a barista – but this experience was enough to decide that the future should be built outside Russia. He chose Europe, specifically Italy, which he considered a better place to study (he will study physics there) and research than the United States. At least for now.
There were also a few everyday pictures in the AMA. It seems funny, but it is proof of a systemic mess, to say the least, using another word starting with “b”. He also mentioned that there were no secret technologies, no UFO programs, or deeply hidden research projects – just ordinary, poorly paid and tedious work.
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Russia is a poor moving destination
Finally, he shared a reflection addressed to young people: do not go to Russia and do not treat its space industry as a romantic myth. Success in space engineering requires resistance to failure, continuous learning, and work with real, prospective projects. Roscosmos – in his opinion – is a place where talent can only be wasted. At least for now, Russia in general is a country where it is easier to waste anything. But this is my personal, very loose digression.
You can read the entire Reddit thread here.
