The Rise of the Russian Private Space Industry

Abstract

Russia is the heir to the Soviet Union, whose space industry was created by Joseph Stalin in the wake of the Second World War. It was, therefore, far from predestined to open itself to the private sector - but, as this paper illustrates, it has now done so. Initial efforts to foster private involvement in Russia's space sector, which began in the early 2010s, yielded only modest results. However, a significant shift occurred around 2020, creating the momentum for the current situation, in which several of the country’s most strategically important space initiatives now depend on private-sector actors.