**Russian Space Chief Removed from Position**
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has removed Yury Borisov as the head of the state space corporation Roscosmos. This decision was announced on February 6 by the Kremlin‘s official website.
Borisov was in charge of Roscosmos since July 2022. He replaced Dmitry Rogozin and faced criticism for his performance. During his time, the number of rocket launches decreased significantly. In 2023, there were only 19 launches, which is three fewer than in 2022. This is a 25% decrease from pre-war levels in 2021 and almost half of what it was in the early 2000s.
**Trouble with Space Project**
Borisov’s removal is allegedly due to problems with the National Space Center project in Moscow. Russian media outlet RBC reported that there were issues with the costs and implementation of this project.
**Background on Borisov**
Before leading Roscosmos, Borisov played a key role in Russia’s military-industrial sector. He was responsible for overseeing the state rearmament program since 2011. As deputy chairman of the Military Industrial Commission, he was in charge of funneling billions of rubles into the defense industry each year.
However, under his leadership, Russia faced problems with producing modern equipment and weapons. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 exposed these shortcomings, as Russian forces relied heavily on aging Soviet-era equipment.
**Concerns Over Space Capabilities**
Borisov also admitted that Roscosmos had failed to meet its state launch plan for 2023. This has raised concerns over Russia’s declining space capabilities due to economic strain and Western sanctions.
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