What are the implications of Vladimir Putin’s recent statement that he wants Russia to make a big move in space?

Vlad's New Land Grab

Vladimir Putin announces mission to MARS next year followed by manned trips in bid to colonise the Red Planet.

The original space race was one of superpower vs. superpower. Are we ready for a new space race that pits nation states against other nation states, against private organizations?

It would seem that the Human Imperative  continues apace. Capability that once belonged only to massive-budget superpowers now sits with nation states and smaller groups.

So who do we like in this race? Elon MUsk or Vladimir Putin?

If the race heats up, would the US “adopt” Musk’s program and make it their own?

Alternatively, is their room for Putin / Musk cooperation in getting humanity to Mars?

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Eternity Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Mars Image: NASA