Roscosmos, Russia's state space agency, is listed among the sponsors of the 6th Tsiolkovsky International Space Film Festival, an event featuring a play that imaginatively depicts a meeting between Elon Musk and space pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. The sponsorship, as part of a broader state-supported cultural initiative, can be seen as reinforcing governmental soft power messaging.

On February 8, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Roscosmos head Yury Borisov and appointed Dmitry Bakanov as his replacement, amid setbacks linked to failures in the Sarmat ICBM program. This leadership shakeup, reported by Newsweek, reflects a politically driven move that underscores the authoritarian control in managing critical state programs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Yuri Borisov from the leadership of Roscosmos amid a series of operational failures and corruption scandals, replacing him with Dmitry Bakanov, a figure deeply connected to state bureaucratic structures. This personnel change, framed as a planned rotation, underscores the agency's increasing entanglement with direct authoritarian control.

Following his appointment by President Putin on February 6, Dmitry Bakanov initiated a personnel overhaul at Roscosmos aimed at addressing longstanding procurement inefficiencies and corruption, including the dismissal of key directors and research institute leadership.

The article outlines how Roscosmos, amid chronic underfunding and technical challenges, is steering its manned space missions and military space initiatives to serve as ideological tools that bolster Russia’s authoritarian regime, prioritizing national prestige over scientific progress.

Roscosmos, the Russian state space agency, announced plans to sell over 150 non‑core assets valued at more than 11.4 billion rubles ($124 million) to improve its financial condition after losing a significant portion of its export income due to Western sanctions imposed in response to President Putin's war in Ukraine.

Roscosmos, the Russian state space agency, is forced to sell over 150 non-core assets valued at more than 11.4 billion rubles ($124 million) as Western sanctions, imposed in response to Russia's war in Ukraine, severely diminished its export income and led to significant contract losses.

Roscosmos pushed for a legislative change that mandates a closed bidding process for government contracts, ostensibly to shield sensitive procurement details from foreign sanctions and scrutiny. This move reduces transparency and aligns with practices that bolster authoritarian governance by evading external oversight.

Roscosmos pushed for a closed bidding process in government procurement, as per new legislation passed by the Duma. This move, intended to shield procurement details from public scrutiny amid US sanctions, raises concerns about transparency and accountability in state-run space initiatives.

On December 23, 2023, police detained the deputy director of Roscosmos for allegedly embezzling 4.3 million euros from a crisis-hit sector, highlighting significant ethical and business practice failures within the agency.

The Luna-25 lunar mission, which ended in a crash on August 20, 2023, exposed deep systemic issues within Roscosmos. Political pressures to outpace international competitors, particularly the rush to beat India's upcoming landing, appear to have influenced key decisions, leading to the use of substandard components amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement. This event underscores how political and procurement pressures in a state-run, authoritarian context can compromise technical and safety standards.

An investigation into Roscosmos reveals that corruption, budget cuts, and politically motivated decisions have contributed to repeated mission failures, including the Luna-25 crash. The article details how former director Dmitry Rogozin’s controversial leadership, marked by overt political engagement and mismanagement, undermined scientific rigor and operational integrity within Russia's space program.

Roscosmos posted celebratory and politically charged messages on Telegram, praising developments in occupied territories and urging Western partners to cancel sanctions. This messaging, which uses the International Space Station as a platform, was criticized by NASA for promoting war propaganda.

The article details how former Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin, embroiled in corruption scandals and controversial political statements—including threatening to crash the International Space Station—exemplifies a drift towards politicization and repressive management within the agency. His remarks about 'using a dirty broom on the employees' further underline harsh labor practices in an environment increasingly driven by authoritarian impulses.

The article details incidents involving former Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin, who was fired amid a series of corruption scandals and overtly politicized behavior. His actions, which included threatening to crash the International Space Station and displaying a dismissive attitude toward ethical management (evidenced by his remark about using a 'dirty broom' on employees), illustrate a troubling alignment with authoritarian tactics.