When it comes to space, Russia talks a good game. It speaks of sending humans to the Moon in 2029. It is building a large, $3 billion cosmodrome in far Eastern Russia. And at present it can boast of being NASA's only means of getting astronauts to the International Space Station.

But behind a reliable program of aging rockets that date to the 1960s (the Soyuz and Proton launch vehicles), most of Russia's successes have come in conjunction with NASA during the last two decades. Beyond this participation in the space station program, however, lies a much beleaguered science program. Russia has not had a successful interplanetary mission in more than three decades since 1984’s launch of Vega 2, a probe to Venus and Halley’s Comet.

Now comes more concern for the Russian space program. Amid the country's budget problems due to a slump in oil prices and western sanctions for its intervention into Ukraine, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev intends to cut funding for Russia's space program by 30 percent, Reuters has reported.

The Russian space budget for the period of 2016 through 2025 will be cut from about $29 billion to about $20 billion. By way of comparison, NASA will enjoy a $19.3 billion budget in fiscal year 2016 alone. NASA will spend about as much on Earth Science this year as the Russian program will receive for the entirety of its activities. Roscosmos will have to delay its Moon plans, a reusable rocket, and more.

Adding to the Russian program's problems will be the loss, beginning as early as 2018, of about $500 million annually from NASA's purchase of Soyuz seats for transportation to the space station. In addition, Congress is also pressuring the United Launch Alliance rocket company to end its acquisition of RD-180 engines, which are manufactured in Russia.