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Comment by travbrack | Hacker News Reader

Was there really any question whether Japan could build an ICBM though? Russia and maybe even North Korea can make them.

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Russia/the Soviet Union built the world's first ICBM [1] and has arguably the most acomplished space program in the world:

They were the first to launch a satellite, the first to put animals in orbit and the first to retrieve animals savely from orbit, first EVA, the first probe on the Moon, on Venus and on Mars, the first robotic rover, the first woman in space as well as the first hispanic and black person in space, the first space station as well as the first permamently settled one, ...

I don't think their capabilities tell us much about Japan's.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-7_Semyorka

2:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_program#List_of_p...

Why put Russia under the category of North Korea, are they not accomplished enough in the rocket department to be considered closer to the US?

Isn't the US still buying rockest from Russia for critical launches? I'd say Russia might have a bit of an edge.

The US doesn't buy rockets from Russia, ULA uses the RD-180 engine until the new Blue Origin engine is ready. The ULA rockets are eg Atlas V (uses the RS-180) and Delta IV. The Delta IV rocket and heavy lift variation uses the RS-68 [1] engine, which is US tech. Their new Vulcan rocket will use the Blue Origin engine.

SpaceX is certified for critical / national security launches and does not use Russia tech.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-68

Yeah, I meant rocket engines. I realize there's a lot more to a rocket than just the engines.

Not buying but getting people to the ISS is done with russian rockets (i.e. No space shuttle anymore)

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