Episode 30: Russia: First into Space, and the First Out?

Russia was the first nation to enter space with satellite 'Sputnik' in 1957. Now, however, the Russian space industry seems to struggle to even maintain its current constellations, let alone contribute to future growth. Further, Russian troops do not seem adequately trained to integrate with space capabilities. Anna Maria Wårlind from the Swedish Defence Research Agency shares with us insights from her open source report on Russian space capabilities. We discuss the state of Russia's PNT, ISR and SATCOM capabilities and to what extent these have already been used during the invasion of Ukraine.

Om Podcasten

Space is becoming increasingly congested, contested and competed over. It has never been so easy – or so cheap – to launch a satellite into orbit. With space activity proliferating, its impact on national security has grown too: space assets are becoming vulnerable and space debris is becoming increasingly dangerous. War in Space is a series of interviews with experts in space and defence that will analyse the intersection of space and national security, unravelling the technical jargon that so often accompanies these discussions and explaining why space matters for our everyday lives and security. The views or statements expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by RUSI employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of RUSI.