Russian Space Exploration

Russia, which was the core of the former Soviet Union, has had a long and illustrious history in efforts directed towards the exploration of space. This country has had more firsts in space than any of its rivals, including the United States. The first probes to Venus and Mars, as well as the first soft landings on these planets are achievements of the Russian space program. In addition, the first interception of the moon Phobos around Mars was a Russian achievement. However, although humanity has come a long way since the first artificial satellite orbited around the earth, the vastness of space still overwhelms all those who chose to ponder on it. This essay presents a discussion about Russian space exploration efforts and questions if humanity can join in its efforts for the conquest of space to make the best of that which is available.