Russian Space Forces Facts for Kids

Flag of the Russian Space Forces.

The Russian Space Forces was a special part of the Russian Military. It was one of six main groups in the military. Their main job was to handle everything related to space for Russia. This included watching space, controlling many space stations, and using satellites. They were also part of the Ministry of Defence, which is like the government department that runs the country's military.

The main tasks of the Russian Space Forces were very important. They had to warn officials if enemy missiles were coming. They also worked on ways to stop these missiles, which is called anti-missile defense. Another big job was to create and launch vehicles that could go into orbit around Earth. The Russian Space Forces stopped existing on December 1, 2011. They were replaced by a new group called the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.

History of the Space Forces
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History of the Space Forces

The idea for a space military group in Russia started a long time ago.

Early Beginnings

In 1967, a group called the Troops of Anti-Missile and Anti-Space Defence was formed by the Soviet Union. This was the first step towards what would become the Russian Space Forces.

Changing Names

Later, in 1982, this group changed its name to the Ministry of Defence Space Units. This name showed that they were a key part of the military's space efforts.

After the Soviet Union

When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, Russia formed its own new military. This new Russian Military then created the Russian Space Forces. For a short time in 1992, the group was stopped, but it was brought back in 2001 because space operations were so important.

Leaders of the Forces

In 2004, General Vladimir Popovkin became the leader of the Russian Space Forces. He took over from the previous leader, Colonel General Anatoly Perminov. These leaders helped guide the group's important work in space.