Russia announces: Will have 100 military spacecraft within 10 years

[PCShogun]

Vladimir Putin has announced that within 10 years that they will have 100 military spacecraft. That's right, "Military Spacecraft".

To me this sounds the beginning of the Space Race, round II. While I cringe a the thought of yet another arms race, I am excited to see what new technologies could be applied to expand human presence into space. Assuming, of course, that we do not simply apply this technological race to the mere destruction of our race.

That said, the discussion here is what technologies are we likely to see heading into space? A new series of space shuttles? Atmospheric boost aircraft with orbital capabilities? Moon bases, orbital weapons platforms? Laser beams?

Do you think this potential race into space will have benefits to mankind, or are we simply defining a new battlefield to kill each other in?

[Feanor]

He's talking about satellites.

[PCShogun]

Originally Posted by Feanor

He's talking about satellites.

Hmmm, Now I just feel silly.

Please delete this thread.

[kato]

One quarter of that is the necessary regular replacement for the Glonass network (24 sats, lifetime 10 years), one quarter is probably geodesy sats like Parus (26 average per decade since 1974). The rest is probably the regular replacement for Strela-3 SATCOM (52 average per decade since 1992). Gee, tally that up, and that's already 102 satellites in 10 years...

[Feanor]

Originally Posted by kato

One quarter of that is the necessary regular replacement for the Glonass network (24 sats, lifetime 10 years), one quarter is probably geodesy sats like Parus (26 average per decade since 1974). The rest is probably the regular replacement for Strela-3 SATCOM (52 average per decade since 1992). Gee, tally that up, and that's already 102 satellites in 10 years...

The fact that they're able to maintain all the existing satellite-based systems is already a good thing, given the issues they've been having, and the shrinking of the MoDs satellite network. It might not be terribly impressive, but it's also not the main focus of the current armament program.