MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin conducted a working visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, where he inspected the progress of construction of the second stage facilities for the Amur space rocket complex with the Angara launch vehicle. “The main construction work at the Vostochny Cosmodrome is to be completed in 2022, enabling to begin installation and testing of the technological equipment in preparation for the start of […]
by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor
Russia recently marked the 25th anniversary of the entry of the Proton rocket into the international commercial marketplace. On April 8, 1996, a Proton-K booster with a DM3 upper stage launched the Astra 1F geosynchronous communications satellite built by U.S.-based Hughes for Luxembourg’s SES from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — The new production facilities of the Khrunichev Center (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) will make it possible to produce up to ten missiles of the Angara family per year. In two cities of Russia, large-scale preparations are underway for the start of the serial production of missiles of this family. More details about the strategy and principles of organizing production, delimiting areas of responsibility between sites, the near and medium-term prospects of the heavy and light version of Angara.
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MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities Dmitry Rogozin reported to President Vladimir Putin on the corporation’s performance in 2020 and plans for the near term.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Rogozin, let us have an in-depth discussion on the corporation’s performance in 2020. The issues we will discuss include carrier rocket launches, the state of the orbital group, your plans, fundamental space research, and, of course, the financial indicators. Please, go ahead.
General Director of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin: Mr. President, last year we posted good results overall. For a second year running since 1993, there were no accidents. This is certainly a positive indicator – I hope we will continue in the same manner – of improved discipline in the sector as a whole and the reliability of our rocket and space technology.
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by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor
The previously reprimanded head of the Russian company that oversees Russia’s ground-based space infrastructure has been fired in a continuing shakeup related to schedule delays and alleged corruption at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
The Board of Directors of the Center for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities (TsENKI) voted to relieve General Director Andrei Okhlopkov from his post beginning on Nov. 27. A month earlier, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin had reprimanded him during a visit to Vostochmy.
Okhlopkov had been the head of TsENKI since June 2018. The board replaced him with Ruslan Mukhamedzhanov, a 20-year TsENKI employee who most recently headed up the company’s Barmin Research Institute of Launch Complexes.
TsENKI is responsible for the creation of ground space infrastructure and manages Russian cosmodromes. The company, which is part of Roscosmos, employs more than 12,000 people.
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by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor
The Russian government says corruption has resurfaced at the Vostochny Cosmodrome despite years of efforts to get the problem under control.
Two government officials have been arrested for their alleged involvement in an embezzlement and bribery scheme at the spaceport in the country’s Far East. Russia Today reports:
(more…)VOSTOCHNY, RUSSIA (Roscosmos PR) — On Thursday, October 15, 2020, the installation of technological equipment began at the Angara launch site of the Vostochny cosmodrome. The Vostochny Space Center (a branch of the Center for Operation of Ground-Based Space Infrastructure Facilities, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) transported large tanks for storing naphthyl from the storage site of the Industrial Construction and Operational Base to the construction site, where the contractor’s […]
VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME, Russia (Roscosmos PR) — On September 3, 2020, the Angara space rocket complex launch pad and vacuum unit arrived at Amur Gas Processing Plant. The operations to unload and transport the equipment from the temporary berth to the Vostochny Cosmodrome will be performed stage by stage and take four days. The vacuum unit of more than 9 meters in diameter, as well as the launch pad bulky parts […]
MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — Roscosmos continues working to create Angara carrier rocket modifications for the Vostochny Cosmodrome. On June 30, 2020, amendments to the Amur design and development work state contract were introduced. The amendments include the works to modernize and further develop Angara family (Angara-A5M being a modernized version of the Angara-A5 rocket), as well as higher load capacity Angara-A5V rocket draft project (with hydrogen-oxygen powered third stage). Given […]
