Overview
Roscosmos is Russia's state space corporation, heir to the Soviet space programme that launched the first satellite (Sputnik, 1957), first human in space (Yuri Gagarin, 1961) and built the Mir space station. Roscosmos manages Russia's civil and commercial space activities, including crewed Soyuz flights to the ISS, the GLONASS navigation constellation, and development of next-generation vehicles.
Russia's space programme has contracted significantly since the Soviet era. International sanctions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine ended Western commercial launches from Baikonur and suspended cooperation with ESA on ExoMars. Roscosmos continues ISS operations but is developing the ROSS (Russian Orbital Service Station) as an eventual ISS replacement and building the Vostochny Cosmodrome to reduce dependence on leased Baikonur.
Quick Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities |
| Abbreviation | Roscosmos |
| Country | Russia |
| Headquarters | Moscow, Russia |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Head | Yuri Borisov (Director General) |
| Budget | ~$3.6B (2025) |
| Staff | ~170,000 |
| Crewed Capability | Yes — independent crewed launch |
| Website | www.roscosmos.ru |
Key Programmes
Soyuz Crewed Missions
The Soyuz spacecraft and rocket system — the most-flown crewed vehicle in history with 2,000+ launches. Continues ISS crew rotation alongside SpaceX Dragon.
GLONASS Navigation
Russia's global navigation satellite system with 24+ operational satellites at ~19,100 km. Provides independent positioning capability.
ISS Partnership
Russia operates the ISS Russian Segment (Zvezda, Nauka, Prichal modules) and provides orbital reboost capability via Progress cargo spacecraft.
Vostochny Development
Building sovereign launch capability at Vostochny including an Angara-A5 heavy-lift pad, reducing reliance on Baikonur.
Angara Rocket Family
Modular rocket family intended to replace Proton for heavy-lift missions. Angara-A5 can deliver 24 tonnes to LEO.
Launch Infrastructure
Roscosmos launches from:
| Spaceport | Role |
|---|---|
| Baikonur Cosmodrome | World's first spaceport — leased from Kazakhstan until 2050 |
| Vostochny Cosmodrome | Russia's new sovereign spaceport in the Far East |
Launch Vehicles
| Vehicle | Role |
|---|---|
| Soyuz-2 | Workhorse launcher — 2,000+ flights |
| Angara-A5 | New heavy-lift replacement for Proton |