Декабрь 2025 г.

Российская наука и мир (по материалам зарубежной электронной прессы)

CONTENTS / ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ


• What would Russia's inability to launch crewed missions mean for ISS?
• 4th-century BC sacrificial complex discovered at ancient necropolis in Russia
• Les lauréats du prix « ВЫЗОВ » 2025, le prix Nobel russe, sont connus !
• Russia plans to revive abandoned Soviet-era particle accelerator
• Russia’s most powerful quantum computer reaches 70 qubits
• Russia patents space station designed to generate artificial gravity
• Archaeologists discover ancient horse-bone skates
• Russia quietly changed its space station plans. Here’s what that means

27 ноября с космодрома Байконур стартовала очередная ракета «Союз», доставившая на Международную космическую станцию двух российских и одного американского космонавта. Однако при этом оказалась серьезно повреждена стартовая площадка и на ее ремонт может уйти до двух лет. Это единственный комплекс, с которого Роскосмос мог выводить на орбиту пилотируемые и грузовые корабли. Если до следующего полета, запланированного на июль 2026 года, проблема не будет решена, это поставит под вопрос существование станции, поскольку российский и американский сегменты МКС выполняют каждый свои функции и не могут существовать друг без друга.

The International Space Station (ISS) may soon become slightly less international. Russia’s only launch site capable of sending humans to orbit has suffered serious damage that could put it out of commission for two years. That would pose a dilemma for NASA: take on more costs and responsibility or let the ISS die.
A Soyuz spacecraft launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 27 November carrying two cosmonauts and a US astronaut. All three safely reached the ISS, but when engineers later inspected the pad it was clear that a multi-level support structure that sits beneath rockets, and is usually safely stowed early in the launch process, had became dislodged and collapsed into the bottom of the flame trench, where it was damaged.
Some reports suggest that repairs could take up to two years - although Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement that the damage would be repaired "in the near future". Only time will tell the true extent of the problem.
Although the Baikonur Cosmodrome hosts dozens of launch pads, the affected one - Launch Pad 6 at Site 31, which dates back to 1958 - is the only one capable of sending crewed rockets to orbit. Davide Amato at Imperial College London says that Russia’s other launch sites have other problems that rule out their use: the Plesetsk Cosmodrome 650 kilometres to the north-east of Saint Petersburg is too far north to easily launch into the ISS orbit, and Vostochny Cosmodrome in the east of Russia close to the border with China lacks the correct infrastructure.
"A lot of space missions rely on single points of failure like this one, especially for programmes that are kind of winding down like the ISS," says Amato.
Indeed, the ISS’s days were already numbered. Originally, it was due to have been scrapped in 2020 and has had several stays of execution. But under current plans, it will be allowed to gradually decline in altitude from next year until 2030 when a final crew will strip it of useful and historical equipment and allow it to continue its slow fall towards Earth, eventually burning up some time in 2031. When it does, it will create a spectacle that has been described as "400 tonnes of flaming chunks flying through the upper atmosphere at orbital speeds".
Without Russia’s involvement, NASA would have to invest more money and resources to step up and keep the ISS going - a wearisome prospect even before factoring in that the project is in its final years.
But Amato doubts that the US will be willing to let the ISS die just yet. Without the ISS, the US and Europe have no destination in space for astronauts, and little reason to launch anyone to orbit until still-distant projects like commercial space stations and lunar settlements are built. This is in contrast to China, the US’s main economic rival, which has a thriving space station.
"It wouldn’t look good," says Amato. "And there’s definitely tonnes of incredible research that is enabled by that platform, so that would be a huge loss."
When construction of the ISS began in the 1990s, there was a different geopolitical climate. The Soviet Union had fallen, and there was a desire to create a project that encouraged cooperation between the two former superpowers. The ISS was carefully designed so as to not just promote cooperation but demand it: the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS), managed by Roscosmos, provides propulsion to keep the ISS in the correct orbit and avoid danger, and the US Orbital Segment (USOS), managed by NASA and European, Japanese and Canadian space agencies, provides electrical power from solar panels. Neither part can survive without the other.
But things didn’t go quite so smoothly, and relations between the US and Russia have been as tense in space as they have been on Earth - a situation that was exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014, then full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Now, if Russia were to pull out of the ISS project entirely, NASA and the other space agencies would have to ferry not only their astronauts but also more fuel, food and supplies that Russia would have otherwise provided. There would be other tricky questions to answer, such as whether those agencies took on official management and use of the Russian section of the ISS. NASA, given recent budget cuts, would have to ask itself if such a thing was even possible.
At the time of writing, much of the Roscosmos website was offline and the agency didn’t respond to a request for comment about the extent of damage at Site 31. The European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency also failed to respond to a request for interview from New Scientist.
NASA spokesperson Jimi Russell told New Scientist that the agency "coordinates closely with its international partners, including Roscosmos, for the safe operations of the International Space Station and its crew members". But Russell declined to answer questions about the ongoing involvement of Russia, or whether contingency plans were in place should it decide to sever its involvement.
There is time to assess these issues before Russia’s next scheduled crewed mission to the ISS in July, but the country will need to urgently develop a plan to resolve the issues at Baikonur.
Leah-Nani Alconcel at the University of Birmingham, UK, says that as far as getting people to the ISS goes, there are other options, such as SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which already ferries US astronauts into orbit. If the US-based SpaceX is the only means of reaching the ISS, it would essentially reverse the situation that existed earlier this century. For almost a decade following the retirement of the Space Shuttle, the US was unable to get astronauts into orbit on its own and had to rely on Russia to launch people to the ISS.
"It might cause difficulties with the contractual arrangements for launch provision, but that would be a problem for the lawyers, not the engineers," says Alconcel.
Such a plan would take the pressure off NASA slightly, removing the responsibility of suddenly developing a plan to replace Russian knowledge and capabilities.
"NASA operating the ISS alone would be a significant challenge, since Roscosmos trains only its cosmonauts to perform certain critical functions on the Russian orbital segment - NASA does the same for the American segment," says Alconcel.

Во время очередных исследований некрополя ранних кочевников Высокая Могила - Студеникин Мар в Оренбургской области Приуральская экспедиция Института археологии РАН обнаружила жертвенный комплекс IV-III веков до н. э. Среди находок - детали конской упряжи из рога, железа и бронзы, ритуальная посуда, золотые изделия. Некоторые предметы, например, распределители ремней из бронзы, уникальны и ранее в этом регионе не встречались.

A remarkable sacrificial complex has been uncovered at an ancient necropolis in Russia, revealing how nomadic elites conducted rituals in the Southern Urals over 2,300 years ago. The team from the Institute of Archaeology at the Russian Academy of Sciences identified the find at the Vysokaya Mogila-Studenikin Mar necropolis in the Orenburg Region.
The deposit includes more than one hundred bronze objects, gold ornaments, and elite horse gear. Researchers say it is the richest ritual assemblage ever recorded in the inter-mound spaces of early nomadic necropolises in this part of the Eurasian steppe.
Excavations carried out across a vast burial landscape
The excavations took place in the summer of 2025 during the Ural Archaeological Expedition directed by D. S. Bogachuk and S. V. Sirotin. The burial ground stretches more than six kilometers (about 4 miles) across open steppe and contains five groups of burial mounds arranged in an irregular latitudinal chain.
Early finds appeared around Kurgan 1 of the Vysokaya Mogila group, a monumental mound measuring 140 meters (460 feet) across and over 7 meters (23 feet) high. Scattered iron bridle bits and decorative fragments in plowed soil signaled the presence of ritual deposits that had been disturbed by farming.
Bronze frontlets and decorated plaques dominate the assemblage
Among the most striking artifacts were 15 to 17 bronze plate-style horse frontlets, found both intact and in fragments, and 30 openwork bronze plaques. A group of flat circular plaques with central protrusions drew particular attention.
Archaeologists documented twelve of these pieces, decorated with dotted motifs and imagery of swastikas, birds, and fantastical creatures. Small bridle plaques with diamond-shaped shields and additional harness fittings executed in the animal style added to the picture of high-status ceremonial horse equipment.
Unique ritual pieces reveal complex ceremonial behavior
Researchers also uncovered several unique objects not previously seen in the region, including bronze strap distributors shaped as plaques with human-like faces and a distinctive bronze pendant.
The ritual complex contained a wooden bowl with silver overlays in the animal style, the jawbones of a wild boar placed as a sacrificial offering, and fragments of a hand-molded ceramic vessel. These finds point to deliberate ceremonial actions carried out during the creation of the deposit.
Connections link the Southern Urals to wider cultural networks
Some items resemble artifacts known from wealthy Southern Ural contexts of the 4th to early 3rd centuries BC, such as iron and bimetallic psalia and certain types of openwork plaques. However, many pieces are entirely new for the region.
Openwork pierced frontlets, circular plaques with raised centers, and several forms of harness decorations have parallels in the North Caucasus, the Don region, and the Northern Black Sea area. These connections show how far-reaching cultural and artistic exchanges shaped the ritual world of Iron Age nomads.
Rare tiger motif underscores long-distance artistic influence
One of the most significant objects is a gold plaque showing a tiger’s head and foreleg. Tiger imagery is rare in the Southern Urals and suggests long-distance import or influence from eastern artistic traditions.
The ritual complex dates to a period of elite consolidation
The deposit dates to the final third of the 4th century BC to the early 3rd century BC and falls within the Filippovka cultural circle, a period marked by the political consolidation of nomadic elites. Similar sacrificial complexes at Bogatyrskie Mogilki, Mezhevoy Mar, and Filippovka 1 show that ritual offerings were often placed far from the main burial mounds.
Find ranks among the most significant in steppe archaeology
Project director Sergey Sirotin called the Vysokaya Mogila complex unmatched in the Southern Urals in both scale and variety. Researchers say the sophisticated bronze work, mask pendants, tiger imagery, and complete bridle sets reveal a ceremonial landscape where horses held profound symbolic meaning and ritual offerings played a central role.
As work continues, archaeologists expect to uncover more evidence of the elaborate ceremonial traditions that shaped life on the Eurasian steppe during the Iron Age.

Объявлены имена лауреатов Национальной премии в области будущих технологий «ВЫЗОВ» в 2025 году. Ими стали:
Михаил Скупов и Алексей Глушенков (Высокотехнологический научно-исследовательский институт неорганических материалов имени ак. А.А.Бочвара) - за создание технологии промышленного производства нитридного ядерного топлива.
Илья Ямпольский (Институт биоорганической химии имени М.М.Шемякина и Ю.А.Овчинникова РАН) - за расшифровку молекулярных механизмов биолюминесценции и создание светящихся растений.
Степан Калмыков (МГУ имени М.В.Ломоносова) - за фундаментальные и прикладные исследования в области радиохимии и радиохимических технологий.
Вера Виль (Институт органической химии имени Н.Д.Зелинского РАН) - за разработку методов образования новых химических связей с участием электрического тока и органических пероксидов.
Валерий Фокин (Университет Южной Калифорнии) - за изобретение реакции, положившей начало клик-химии и преобразившей молекулярные науки и химию живых систем.

De nos jours, on se souvient probablement peu, en dehors de la Russie, que les scientifiques et les artistes y étaient particulièrement mis en avant à l’ère soviétique. Sans doute pour reprendre cette tradition, une fondation privée a lancé en 2023 un nouveau prix scientifique et technologique dont on peut penser, à première vue, qu’il renouvelle pour le XXIe siècle le concept du prix Nobel. Parmi les membres du conseil chargés d’attribuer ce nouveau prix, on trouve le célèbre physicien Artem Oganov, un nom certainement familier des lecteurs de Futura depuis plus d'une décennie. Les lauréats de l'année 2025 de ce prix ont été révélés ce 12 décembre et nous continuons donc la tradition à son sujet.
Avant de reprendre les explications que nous avions déjà données dans plusieurs articles au sujet du prix « ВЫЗОВ » (phonétiquement en russe, cela se lit « vizof ») et après les noms des lauréats de cette année, rappelons que même pendant la période stalinienne ou pendant la guerre froide, les communautés scientifiques de l'Ouest et de l'Est entretenaient des communications, d'abord parce qu'il s'agissait de science avant tout.
Très ami avec l'impressionnant prix Nobel Igor Tamm, le tout aussi impressionnant Paul Dirac, l'un des fondateurs de la mécanique quantique, voyageait fréquemment en Russie pendant les années 1930 et également après-guerre, tout en communiquant aussi avec Piotr Kapitza et Vladimir Fock.
Plus récemment, au cours des années 1970 et 1980, on peut citer également le prix Nobel Kip Thorne qui, sachant parler russe tout comme Freeman Dyson, visitait fréquemment le groupe d'astrophysique et de cosmologie relativiste de Yakov Zeldovitch à Moscou.
Il n'était pas le seul, Stephen Hawking était d'ailleurs allé à Moscou pour apprendre de Zeldovitch et de son collaborateur Alexeï Starobinski comment faire des calculs de théorie quantique des champs en espace-temps courbes, ce qui lui permettra de faire sa découverte retentissante de l'évaporation des trous noirs.
Cette année 2025 :
1. Dans la catégorie « Solution d'un problème d'ingénierie », le prix est décerné à Mikhail Skupov pour le développement de la technologie de production industrielle du combustible nucléaire nitruré.
2. Dans la catégorie « Percée » (pour la résolution d'un problème scientifique ou technologique majeur), le prix est décerné à Ilia V. Yampolsky pour avoir décrypté les mécanismes moléculaires de la bioluminescence et créé des plantes lumineuses.
3. Dans la catégorie « Scientifique de l'année », le prix est décerné à Stepan N. Kalmykov pour ses recherches fondamentales et appliquées dans le domaine de la radiochimie et des technologies radiochimiques.
4. Dans la catégorie « Promesse » (réservée à des scientifiques de moins de 35 ans), le prix est décerné à Vera A. Vil’ pour avoir développé des méthodes de construction de liaisons chimiques utilisant le courant électrique et les peroxydes organiques.
5. Le prix international dans la catégorie « Découverte » est décerné à Valery Fokin, professeur à l'Université de Californie du Sud (États-Unis), pour avoir inventé la réaction qui a lancé la chimie click et transformé la science moléculaire, ainsi que la chimie des systèmes vivants.
Les quatre lauréats russes et le lauréat international recevront chacun 11 millions de roubles (environ 112 000 dollars).
Une tradition de prix scientifiques russes
Rappelons maintenant ce que nous avions expliqué plusieurs fois dans plusieurs articles et parce que Futura suit régulièrement les travaux du physicien, chimiste et cristallographe russe Artem Oganov, dont certains pensent qu'il ne serait pas surprenant qu'on finisse par lui attribuer un vrai prix Nobel un jour.
Le chercheur est initialement un produit de la prestigieuse université d'État Lomonossov de Moscou, c'est aussi un représentant de la tout aussi prestigieuse école de physique de la matière condensée russe qui s'est illustrée avec des prix Nobel de physique, tels Lev Landau ou Andre Geim et Konstantin Novoselov. Il a été professeur et chercheur dans plusieurs institutions mondiales, de l'University College de Londres à l'École polytechnique fédérale de Zurich.
Depuis 2023, comme il l'a indiqué à Futura, il est le président du comité scientifique chargé de choisir les lauréats d'un nouveau prix scientifique russe. La première année, celui-ci était réservé à la sphère nationale, mais il avait vocation à devenir international, ce qui est le cas désormais. Il s'agit du prix du « Challenge » ou encore du « Défi », c'est-à-dire en russe le prix « ВЫЗОВ ».
Il est doté d'un manifeste bien dans l'esprit de la science de l'ère soviétique, dont on connaît les performances impressionnantes.
Il existait déjà des prix internationaux russes en science, comme le prix Pomerantchouk en physique théorique, décerné annuellement depuis 1998 par l'Institut de physique théorique et expérimentale à Moscou en mémoire d'Isaac Pomerantchouk, qui avait fondé le département de physique théorique de l'Institut avec Lev Landau. Roger Penrose et Freeman Dyson en ont été lauréats, pour ne citer qu'eux.
Il y a également le prix Bogolioubov pour les jeunes scientifiques, à la mémoire du physicien théoricien et mathématicien Nikolaï Bogolioubov, formé jadis à l'Université de Kiev et dont les travaux sur la théorie quantique des champs ont été utilisés par Steven Hawking pour découvrir le rayonnement des trous noirs, prix qui a été attribué à Aurélien Barrau.
À y regarder de près, le prix « ВЫЗОВ » apparaît comme une forme complètement modernisée du prix Nobel en science, ou pour le moins un cousin de ce prix qu'il ne remplace pas étant donné ses différences.
Un prix Nobel modernisé à vocation internationale ?
L'objectif de ce prix est de mettre en lumière des découvertes fondamentales et des innovations technologiques susceptibles de changer le paysage scientifique et technologique à court terme. Il concerne donc plus précisément les percées, idées et inventions fondamentales qui changent le paysage de la science moderne, et la vie de chaque personne. Il s'agit de découvertes faites récemment ou de travaux qui devraient déboucher sur des découvertes et des applications d'ici trois à dix ans environ.
Le prix « ВЫЗОВ » aura donc tendance à récompenser des chercheurs jeunes et tout de suite après leurs découvertes, alors que le prix Nobel est plus souvent attribué à des chercheurs ayant atteint au moins la cinquantaine, voire presque ou déjà à la retraite. Ces derniers ont plus d'une fois expliqué que le prix Nobel leur aurait été bien plus utile dans leur jeunesse, juste au moment où ils développaient leurs travaux et qu'ils auraient eu besoin de fonds pour en mener d'autres d'importance.
Le prix a une autre particularité : les candidatures peuvent être faites directement par ceux qui se considèrent comme des lauréats potentiels, en plus de la nomination traditionnelle par des collègues ou par des organisations. Enfin, il est plus souple que le prix Nobel qui tend à se cantonner à des disciplines précises ; le nouveau prix pourra récompenser des développements franchement interdisciplinaires et des solutions de pure ingénierie. En bref, si l'intersection avec les Nobel classiques n'est pas nulle, il ne s'agit pas non plus de copies.
Si, comme on l'a dit, ce prix était interne à la Russie, dès 2024 il devait s'étendre comme l'avait expliqué Artem Oganov en 2023 dans une interview : « Une nomination internationale sera ajoutée l'année prochaine. Nous ne regardons pas la citoyenneté, les opinions politiques, la nationalité, le sexe, etc. Le prix est décerné uniquement pour des résultats scientifiques. »

Институт физики высоких энергий НИЦ «Курчатовский институт» выделил 176 млн рублей на оценку состояния недостроенного протонного ускорителя УНК в подмосковном Протвино, заброшенного в 1990-х гг.

Russia wants to revive a Soviet-era particle accelerator that has been abandoned since the 1990s. The Kurchatov Institute for High Energy Physics has allocated 176 million rubles ($25m) to assess the current condition of the unfinished 600 GeV Proton Accelerator and Storage Complex (UNK) in Protvino near Moscow. The move is part of plans to strengthen Russia’s technological sovereignty and its activity in high-energy physics.
Although work on the UNK was officially halted in the 1990s, construction only ceased in 2013. At that time, a 21 km tunnel had been built at a depth of 60 m along with underground experimental hall lighting and ventilation systems.
In February 2025, physicist Mikhail Kovalchuk, president of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, noted in Russia’s Kommersant newspaper that enormous intellectual and material resources had been invested in the UNK’s design and development before it was cancelled.
According to Kovalchuk, Western sanctions provided an additional impetus to restore the project, as scientists that had previously worked in CERN projects could no longer do so.
"By participating in [CERN] projects, we not only preserved our scientific potential and survived a difficult period, but also enriched ourselves intellectually and technologically," added Kovalchuk. "Today we are self-sufficient."
Anatoli Romaniouk, a Russian particle physicist who has worked at CERN since 1990, told Physics World that a revival of the UNK will at least maintain fundamental physics research in Russia.
"If this project is realized, then there is hope that it will be possible to at least somewhat slow down the scientific lag of Russian physics with global science," says Romaniouk.
While official plans for the accelerator have not been disclosed, it is thought that the proton beam energy could be upgraded to reach 3 TeV. Romaniouk says it is also unclear what kind of science will be done with the accelerator, which will depend on what ideas come forward.
Yet some Russian scientists say that it could be used to produce neutrinos. This would involve putting a neutrino detector nearby to characterize the beam before it is sent some 4000 km towards Lake Baikal where a neutrino detector - the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope - is already installed 1 km underground.
"I think it’s possible to find an area of high-energy physics where the research with the help of this collider could be beneficial," adds Romaniouk.

Ученые Физического института имени П.Н.Лебедева РАН представили прототип 70-кубитного квантового компьютера на ионах иттербия. Точность работы составила 99,98% для однокубитных операций и 96,1% для двухкубитных.

In December 2025, researchers from the Quantum Project Group at the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FIAN) announced a significant milestone: the development of a 70-qubit quantum computer prototype using ytterbium ions. This system effectively demonstrated a quantum register comprising 70 qubits and attained notably high operational fidelity - 99.98% for single-qubit operations and 96.1% for two-qubit operations - in preliminary control experiments. The initiative was carried out as part of Russia’s comprehensive national strategy for quantum computation, overseen by the state corporation Rosatom and directed by academician Nikolay Kolachevsky.
This milestone advances Russia into a new stage of quantum research, integrating fundamental physics with practical applications in science and industry. Although still lacking large-scale practical quantum computers, this achievement positions Russia prominently within the active international sphere of quantum technology advancement.
Understanding the Significance of Achievement: The Implications of 70 Qubits
Quantum computing diverges significantly from classical computing. Classical bits denote either 0 or 1, whereas quantum bits, or qubits, leverage quantum phenomena such as superposition - allowing a qubit to exist in multiple states simultaneously - and entanglement, which involves correlations between qubits that cannot be replicated by classical bits. These properties allow quantum computers to simultaneously investigate numerous computational pathways, potentially providing exponential performance advantages for specific problems in comparison to classical computers.
A quantum computer comprising 70 qubits entails a quantum register capable of representing 2^70 possible states - a magnitude so vast that classical simulation becomes impractical at scale. This does not inherently provide a practical advantage for all tasks; however, it signifies a threshold of complexity at which quantum systems start to rival classical supercomputers in solving particular problems.
The Russian prototype employs confined ions, specifically ytterbium ions, a rare-earth element, as the physical medium for qubits. Ions are confined within electromagnetic enclosures and controlled with lasers to execute quantum logic operations. Each ytterbium ion encapsulates two qubits within its internal energy states, facilitating the development of a 70-qubit register at the forefront of existing ion-trap technology.
The Significance of This: Accuracy and Practicality
One of the most important features of the FIAN quantum computer is not just the quantity of qubits but also the accuracy of its operations. High precision is essential due to the fact that actual quantum computers are highly susceptible to noise and defects - problems that escalate rapidly as the number of qubits grows.
The reported accuracy of 99.98% for single-qubit gates and 96.1% for two-qubit gates is remarkable given the magnitude, particularly for a prototype device. Enhancing gate fidelity is crucial for executing complex quantum algorithms with reliability and directly influences the feasibility of implementing quantum error correction, an essential prerequisite for scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Error correction represents one of the most major obstacles within the discipline. Quantum states are inherently delicate, and even slight interactions with the environment can cause the disintegration of the information being manipulated. Attaining high operational precision at an early stage - prior to the development of fully error-corrected systems - lays a solid foundation for more resilient future architectures.
Russia’s Quantum Vision: Strategic Roadmap to 2030
The 70-qubit system constitutes a component of Russia’s strategic roadmap for quantum computation, as delineated by FIAN and supervised by Rosatom. This roadmap anticipates a progression of progressively advanced devices culminating in medium-scale quantum computers by 2030, endowed with robust error-correction mechanisms and capable of addressing real-world industrial challenges through complex quantum algorithms.
The targeted applications encompass materials design, chemical simulation, optimization problems, cryptography, machine learning, and data analysis - all domains in which quantum computing offers theoretical advantages over classical methodologies. Although these applications currently remain predominantly aspirational, gradual advancements in qubit quantities, gate fidelities, and algorithm development are essential milestones on the path to practical viability.
Rosatom’s participation further emphasizes Russia’s conviction that quantum computing is not solely a scientific curiosity but a strategic technological domain with significant implications for national competitiveness in defense, industry, and economic development.
Global Benchmarks: The Position of 70 Qubits
To comprehend the importance of 70 qubits, it is useful to examine how this number compares on a global scale:
United States: IBM and Google
U.S. corporations and research organizations have been among the most proactive worldwide. In recent years:
Google’s Sycamore quantum processor, a 70-qubit device, famously demonstrated what has been termed "quantum supremacy" - completing a task in seconds that would require classical supercomputers thousands of years to perform - although the claim and its practical significance have generated discussion within the scientific community.
IBM continues to invest in expanding its capabilities, unveiling processors featuring hundreds to over a thousand qubits (for example, the Condor processor with 1121 qubits). However, these systems also advance the challenges related to error rates, connectivity, and coherence.
These figures demonstrate that the number of qubits alone does not serve as the solitary measure of performance; the quality of qubits, coherence durations, connectivity configurations, and error rates all impact practical computational capability.
China
Chinese institutions and corporations have also achieved significant progress. They have reported quantum processors and simulators at competitive scales, including systems that have demonstrated specific quantum tasks with performance exceeding classical simulation - although the platforms often differ in technology (e.g., photonic qubits, ion traps, superconducting circuits).
European and Other Efforts
European research laboratories and companies are advancing quantum processors employing diverse qubit modalities, with the goal of achieving greater scalability and seamless integration with classical computing systems. Collaborations within the European Union and with international partners seek to establish innovation ecosystems focused on quantum computation and communication.
Technical Challenges and Prospective Developments
Although advancements have been made in qubit quantities, operational fidelity, and strategic planning, substantial technical obstacles still must be overcome before quantum computers can surpass classical computers in practical applications.
1. Error Detection and Fault Tolerance
Current devices, including the 70-qubit prototype, are classified as noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) systems. They are capable of demonstrating promising physics and compact algorithms but lack comprehensive, error-corrected, fault-tolerant architectures. Practical applicability will be contingent upon advancements in quantum error correction and fault tolerance.
2. Capacity for Growth
Expanding from tens to hundreds or thousands of high-quality qubits necessitates advancements in hardware design, manufacturing accuracy, cryogenic technology, and control electronics.
3. Development of Algorithms
Developing quantum algorithms that provide substantial advantages on real-world problems - beyond narrowly designed benchmarks - remains a primary area of research. Industries and research communities are investigating quantum algorithms in the fields of optimization, machine learning, and simulation.
4. Integration with Classical Computing
In the near term, utility may be derived from hybrid quantum-classical systems, in which classical computers and quantum processors operate collaboratively. Effective frameworks to facilitate such collaboration constitute a dynamic area of ongoing research.
Societal and Industrial Effects
Although practical quantum computation remains in development, its potential implications are significant:
Science and Inquiry
Quantum computing offers the potential for significant advancements in physical sciences, materials science, and chemistry through the simulation of quantum systems that are beyond the efficient modeling capabilities of classical computers. Research into superconductors, catalysts, pharmaceuticals, and complex materials could advance significantly with the development of quantum simulation capabilities.
Optimization and Supply Chain Management
Quantum algorithms possess the theoretical capacity to enhance optimization problems in logistics, supply chain management, financial modeling, and large-scale data analysis, potentially resulting in more efficient utilization of resources across various sectors.
Cryptography and Information Security
Quantum computing also intersects with the domain of information security. Powerful quantum algorithms - particularly Shor’s algorithm - possess the potential to compromise conventional public-key cryptographic systems such as RSA and ECC. This prospect has stimulated interest in post-quantum cryptography, which aims to develop cryptographic techniques resilient to quantum attacks.
Economic Rivalry
Countries investing in quantum technologies seek not only scientific distinction but also long-term economic competitiveness. Quantum computing is regarded as a fundamental technology with the potential to transform industries and establish significant technological leadership.
Conclusion: A Critical Milestone, Not a Final Destination
The declaration of a 70-qubit quantum computer prototype by Russian researchers signifies a significant milestone in the country’s progress in quantum computing. With exceptional operational accuracy and a well-defined plan for developing medium-scale machines by 2030, Russia is harmonizing its scientific community with international initiatives in this transformative
Although 70 qubits does not represent the ultimate objective for achieving practical quantum advantage, it indicates a progressing maturation in quantum technology research and establishes a conducive environment for future advancements. As research advances globally, collaborations, competition, and interdisciplinary innovation will persist in shaping the quantum computing landscape - driving progress toward devices capable of addressing real-world problems beyond the capabilities of classical machines.

Российская ракетно-космическая корпорация «Энергия» запатентовала новую архитектуру космической системы, способной создавать искусственную гравитацию. Созданная с помощью центробежной силы гравитация составит около 0,5g (50% от земной).

Russian state-owned Energia rocket company has secured a patent for a novel spacecraft architecture designed to generate artificial gravity, a capability which could provide a huge boost for long-duration crewed missions.
A report from Russian state media outlet TASS, which obtained the patent, states that the rotating system is designed to generate a gravitational force of 0.5g, or 50% of Earth’s gravity. The patent documentation includes illustrations of a notional space station structure with a central axial module with both static and rotating components, with modules and habitats connected by a hermetically sealed, flexible junction.
The radially attached habitable modules would be rotated around this axis to simulate gravity for the crew by producing an outward-pushing centrifugal force. These would need to rotate about five revolutions per minute, and have a radius of 131 feet (40 meters) in order to produce 0.5g. A space station of that size would require multiple launches with each module that would then be assembled in orbit.
The documentation notes the disadvantage of the need for spinning and coordinating the rotation of transport ships to dock with the station, which it notes reduces the safety of using such a station.
Generating artificial gravity could have profound impacts for crews on long-duration space missions, whether in low Earth orbit on interplanetary voyages into deep space. Exposure to microgravity has numerous impacts on astronauts, including muscle atrophy and bone density loss.
NASA has produced concepts such as the rotating wheel space station concept Nautilus-X, while, more recently, commercial firm Vast has said it will pursue artificial gravity stations.
Russia did not indicate timelines for such a project nor resources to back its development. The patent does however indicate interest in the concept of artificial gravity at a time when the end of the International Space Station (ISS) is approaching and new national and commercial station plans are moving forward.
Currently, NASA and Roscosmos plan to deorbit the ISS in 2030, using a modified SpaceX Dragon capsule to push the station down into a fiery death over the Pacific Ocean. Russia has committed to stay aboard the ISS until 2028.

В Темрюкском районе Краснодарского края археологи из Института истории материальной культуры РАН обнаружили нечто вроде полозьев античной эпохи, вырезанных из лошадиных костей. Вероятно, они использовались для передвижения по льду замерзшего Керченского залива.

Archaeologists working on the Taman Peninsula in Russia’s Krasnodar Region have uncovered a remarkable example of ancient ingenuity: bone skates crafted from horse bones, believed to have been used for crossing frozen waterways during winter. The discovery sheds new light on how local communities adapted to the region’s seasonal climate thousands of years ago and provides rare insight into daily life, trade, and mobility in the ancient Black Sea world.
A Discovery Unearthed During Rescue Archaeology
The finds were made by researchers from the Laboratory of Archaeological Technology at the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IIMK RAS). The team conducted large-scale rescue excavations in 2024 along the route of a new fuel pipeline in the Temryuk District, an area rich in archaeological heritage dating from antiquity through the medieval period.
The investigated sites - including Sady-1 and 2, Armature Plant-1, Mingrelskoye, Khabl-Mingrelskoye, Sheptalskoye-Levoberezhnoye, and Yastrebovskoye-Berezhnoe - form a unique cultural landscape once located within the territory of the Bosporan Kingdom. Studying such a wide complex of monuments has allowed scientists not only to document individual artifacts but also to reconstruct broader patterns of life, economy, and environmental adaptation among the region’s ancient inhabitants.
Bone Skates Interpreted Through Wear Marks and Context
Among the most intriguing finds were carefully processed horse bones discovered at the Yastrebovskoye-Berezhnoe site. Detailed examination revealed distinctive traces of concentrated wear, indicating purposeful and repeated use. Based on their shape, surface polish, and archaeological context, researchers interpreted the artifacts as bone runners or skates - devices designed to facilitate movement across ice.
According to the research team, the bones were selected from large animals such as horses or cattle, whose strong and dense skeletal structure could support the weight of a human. The discovery demonstrates not only technical skill, but also a sophisticated understanding of available materials and environmental conditions.
Crossing the Frozen Kerch Strait
The geographical setting of the finds strongly supports their functional interpretation. In antiquity, sea levels in the Black Sea were higher than they are today, and many settlements stood closer to the coast of the Kerch Strait - a natural water corridor separating the Taman Peninsula from the Crimean Peninsula. During especially cold winters, the strait could freeze, creating natural ice passages.
The bone skates would have allowed residents to travel efficiently across frozen surfaces, likely for purposes related to trade, communication, seasonal movement, or economic activity. This practical innovation reflects how communities responded creatively to the challenges and opportunities of their environment.
As archaeologist Elizaveta Kondrashova of IIMK RAS noted, the team analyzes artifacts not as isolated objects, but within their broader "archaeological context." By combining zoological, anthropological, and radiocarbon data, researchers can reconstruct detailed stories about how people lived - what they owned, produced, consumed, and how they interacted with their surroundings.
Evidence of an Advanced Bone-Working Tradition
The bone skates represent only one aspect of a well-developed craft tradition in the region. Analysis of more than 2,000 animal bone fragments revealed that ancient artisans used nearly every part of domestic animal skeletons. Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, and even roe deer - now no longer native to the area - were all represented.
From these materials, craftspeople produced a wide range of items, including needles, awls, decorative fittings, knife handles, jewelry, and arrowheads. This efficient and resource-conscious approach suggests a high level of technical expertise and a deep familiarity with animal anatomy.
Reconstructing Life in the Ancient Bosporan Frontier
Beyond the artifact itself, the discovery contributes to a larger picture of life on the Taman Peninsula during antiquity. The region was a dynamic cultural crossroads, shaped by local traditions, trade networks, and interactions between steppe populations and Greek urban centers of the Bosporan Kingdom.
The findings demonstrate that communities did not simply endure their environment - they innovated to thrive within it. From animal husbandry and craftsmanship to mobility across frozen landscapes, the residents of ancient Taman displayed remarkable resourcefulness and adaptability.
Scientific Work Continues
Researchers continue to analyze the materials and compare them with other archaeological discoveries from the wider Black Sea region. Their findings have been published in the Bulletin of the Institute for the History of Material Culture, contributing to ongoing scholarly discussions about technology, environment, and daily life in antiquity.
As investigations progress, the bone skates of Taman stand as a striking reminder that even seemingly humble artifacts can reveal extraordinary stories about human ingenuity across time.
The results of the study were published in the Bulletin of the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Последние десять лет Россия планировала после прекращения работы Международной космической станции в 2028 г. запустить собственную станцию из новых модулей на полярной орбите. Однако в итоге предполагаемая станция останется на старой орбите, что позволит повторно использовать конструкции и технологии российского сегмента МКС

The International Space Station (ISS) is due to close down by 2030, and Russia, one of its main partners, is designing its own replacement orbital laboratory. After a decade of planning to place its future space station into a high-latitude polar orbit for Arctic observation, Russian authorities have changed their minds. Instead the Russians have decided to stick with the familiar ISS orbit - the same 51.6-degree inclination used by the Soviet Mir space station nearly 40 years ago.
The decision goes beyond a routine adjustment to flight plans. It will shape the architecture of Russia’s space program for decades to come, determining the type of modules used to build the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), the launch vehicles and spaceports that will be used, and the structure of the country’s future space economy. Roscosmos officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The head of Roscosmos framed the shift as a step toward future space cooperation with India. "We are building our own national orbital station, and India is building its own," Roscosmos general director Dmitry Bakanov said during a visit to New Delhi, according to Russian news source RBC. India has announced plans to launch the first part of its Bharatiya Antariksh Station in 2028. "We are negotiating to place them in the same orbital plane."
Experts, however, are skeptical that alignment with India played more than a rhetorical role. "This decision is entirely understandable given the political and economic realities, says Dmitry Payson, a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, who was formerly associated with the Russian space sector. Placing the future station in the same orbit as the ISS is far less expensive, and requires fewer manufacturing and design innovations, than aiming for a polar orbit. "Compatibility with India in terms of inclination became a conveniently timed additional justification for a decision driven by different considerations," Payson says.
Sticking with the same orbit will allow Roscosmos to reuse designs and technology from ISS and its existing Soyuz spacecraft, he adds. The result is a station architecture that looks less like a step forward than a return nearly 40 years back to the Mir era.
A polar orbit that passes over both of Earth’s poles remains a rarity in human spaceflight. So far, the only crewed mission to reach such an orbit was the privately funded Fram2 flight on the SpaceX Dragon capsule in April 2025.
In December 2014 Oleg Ostapenko, then head of Roscosmos, said the agency was considering a high-latitude station that would allow observation of most of Russia’s territory and could potentially serve as a staging ground for future lunar missions.
Early concepts also envisioned a suite of novel components, including the OKA-T autonomous module for ultrasensitive materials science experiments and an expandable module - Russia’s counterpart to the ISS’s BEAM - equipped with a centrifuge. The station was repeatedly described as a test bed for prospective elements of lunar infrastructure.
By 2021 much of that future-facing vision had faded. Officials decided to orient the station around the Science Power Module (NEM), whose hull was already sitting on the factory floor of Russian aerospace manufacturer RKK Energia. Originally planned for the ISS to reduce the Russian segment’s dependence on U.S. power, but still incomplete, NEM was a problematic choice as the core of an independent station.
The module lacked control moment gyros for attitude control and had only a single docking port, leaving no place for a cargo spacecraft to attach while a crew was on board. Additional docking hardware and follow-on modules would have to be sent up before even a minimal crew could visit.
The module would also have needed extensive reworking, including the addition of basic crew systems such as a toilet and a main computer, to turn what was essentially a power plant and laboratory into a functional control center and living space.
Launch plans only compounded the problem. NEM was to be sent into a polar orbit aboard the Angara-A5M rocket - a variant that has yet to fly - from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, which at the time lacked a launch pad for Angara.
These constraints ultimately pushed the polar orbit station project to a dead end, says military and space analyst Pavel Luzin, a senior fellow at the Saratoga Foundation. "NEM appears impossible to redesign into the core of a future station," Luzin says. "Even if basic crew systems can be added, there would be little room left for scientific payloads - it would essentially become an enlarged spacecraft."
The switch to a 51.6-degree orbit resolved many of the project’s challenges. The new station gets a starter module for free - one of the components of the Russian segment of ISS, called the MLM Nauka module, which is already in orbit and fully equipped for a crew. And there would be no need to upgrade the Vostochny launch pad because crewed launches could rely on proven Soyuz spacecraft from the fully equipped Baikonur Cosmodrome. NEM would retain its original role as a science-and-power module and could be launched aboard the reliable Proton-M rocket.
Plans to deploy the rest of the station are detailed in internal RKK Energia documents obtained by Scientific American. The sequence begins with the controlled deorbit of the "UM" docking and utility node module from Nauka. In late 2028 a nearly identical Universal Node Module (UUM) will be launched from Baikonur and attached to Nauka. At the same time, the ISS will be gradually lowering its orbit for its planned crash into the Pacific Ocean.
In 2029 NEM will be launched aboard a Proton rocket from Baikonur and docked to the UUM’s lower port. An airlock module, ShM, will follow in 2030, attaching to the side port.
Once assembled, the ROS will detach from the rest of ISS, which will have served as a building berth for its Russian "successor." The new Russian station will then fly independently, with its attitude and orbit controlled by two specially modified Progress cargo spacecraft docked for that purpose.
Even these streamlined plans, however, will require substantial work to make the ROS operate independently. The relatively new Nauka module, launched in 2021, already needs repairs, including a fix to its leaking cooling system. All tasks must be completed before June 2030, when the ISS is expected to begin a rapid descent. There may be a gap before Russian cosmonauts can visit the new station.
"I believe Russia faces, at the very least, a hiatus in its crewed spaceflight program," Luzin says. "Although it has long sought partners to join the ROS project, no visible progress has been made."

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