Space industry of Russia
Encyclopedia
Space industry of Russia consists of over 100 companies and employs 250,000 people. Most of Russia's space industry companies are descendants of Soviet design bureuas and state production companies. The industry entered a deep crisis after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
, which peaked in the last years of the 1990s. Funding of the space program declined by 80% and the industry lost a large part of its work force, until recovery begun in the early 2000s. Many companies survived by creating joint-ventures with foreign companies and marketing their products abroad. In the mid-2000s, in wave of the general improvement in the economy, funding of the country's space program was substantially increased and a new ambitious federal space plan was introduced, resulting in a great improvement in the industry. The largest company of the industry is RKK Energia, the main manned space flight contractor. Leading launch vehicle producers are Khrunichev
and TsSKB Progress. Largest satellite developer is Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, while NPO Lavochkin is the main developer of interplanetary probes.
The space industry of the Soviet Union
was a formidable, capable and well-funded complex, which scored a number of great successes. Spending on the space program
peaked in 1989, when its budget totaled 6.9 billion rubles, amounting to 1.5% of the Soviet Unions gross domestic product. During the perestroika
period of the late 1980s, the space program's funding began to decrease, and this was seriously accelerated by the economic hardships of the 1990s. The Russian Federation inherited the major part of the infrastructure and companies of the Soviet program (while others, such as Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
, became Ukrainian
), but found itself unable to continue the appropriate level of financing. By 1998, the space program's funding had been cut by 80%.
To coordinate the country's space activities, on 25 February 1992, the Russian Federal Space Agency
was created. During Soviet times, there had been no central agency; instead, the design bureaus had been very powerful. To an extent, this continued during the first years of the agency, which suffered from a lack of authority while the design bureaus fought to survive in the difficult environment.
The final phase of the space program's contradiction took place during the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Much of the budgeted money never arrived at the companies. The space industry continued to shed work force, and soon only 100,000 people remained. Wages were also cut: for example at the leading rocket engine producer Energomash
, the average monthly salary during this time was 3,000 rubles ($104). The space industry's physical infrastructure declined greatly, and this was symbolised by the destruction of one of the Buran space shuttles. No funds were available to look after the shuttle's hangar in Baikonur
and it collapsed on the shuttle in May 2002.
During the crisis years, of the main ways for the industry's companies to survive was to look for foreign partnerships. In this respect, Khrunichev
was especially successful. On 15 April 1993 Khrunichev created the Lockheed-Khrunichev-Energia joint venture with the American company Lockheed
. In 1995, due to the merger of Lockheed
and Martin Marietta
, it was transformed into International Launch Services
(ILS). The joint venture marketed launches on both the Proton and the American Atlas rockets. The United States
had given permission for the appearance of Proton on the international launch market, but introduced a quota to protect the launch market from "Russian dumping." Despite this, the Proton, built by Khrunichev, was successful and by the end of 2000 had earned launch contracts worth over $1.5 billion. Since 1994, the Proton has earned $4.3 billion for the Russian space industry as a whole, and in 2011 this figure is expected to raise to $6 billion.
Another successful company was Energomash
, whose extremely powerful RD-180 engine was installed on American Atlas V
rockets. The rocket's manufacturer Lockheed Martin
initially bought 101 RD-180 engines from Energomash, earning the company $1 billion in hard currency.
's presidency, the Russian economy started recovering, growing more each year than in all of the previous decade. The funding outlook for Russia's space program started to look more favourable.
In 2001, the development of the GLONASS
satellite navigation system was made a government priority with the introduction of a new Federal Targeted Program. The main contractor for GLONASS
, NPO PM, thus received a boost in its finances. In total, 4.8 billion rubles was allocated for the space program in 2001, of which 1.6 billion was earmarked for GLONASS. By 2004, Russia's space spending had grown to 12 billion rubles. In 2005, a new strategy for the development of the country's space program, titled the Federal Space Plan 2006-2015, was approved. It stipulated the completion of the International Space Station
, development of the Angara rocket family, introduction of a new manned spacecraft and completion of the GLONASS constellation, among others.
In the mid-2000s, funding of the space program continued to improve substantially, amounting to 21.59 billion rubles in 2005 and rising to 23 billion rubles in 2006. In 2007, 24.4 billion rubles was spent on the civilian space program, while the military space program's budget was 11 billion rubles. The industry also continued to receive very substantial funds from exports and foreign partnerships.
Under Dmitry Medvedev
's presidency, space technology was named of the key areas of the country's modernisation programme
. Spending increased to 82 billion rubles ($2.4 billion) in 2009. In 2011, the government is planning to spend 115 billion rubles ($3.8 bln) in the national space programs.
The largest company of Russia's space industry is RKK Energiya. It is the country's main human spaceflight contractor, the lead developer of the Soyuz-TMA
and Progress spacecraft and the Russian end of the International Space Station
. It employs around 22,000-30,000 people. Progress State Research and Production Rocket Space Center
(TsSKB Progress) is the developer and producer of the famous Soyuz
launch vehicle. The Soyuz-FG
version is used to launch manned spacecraft, while the international joint-venture Starsem
markets commercial satellite launches on the other versions. TsSKB Progress is currently leading the development of a new launcher called Rus-M
, which is to replace the Soyuz. Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is one of the commercially most successful companies of the space industry. It is the developer of the Proton-M
rocket and the Fregat
upper stage. The company's new Angara rocket family is expected to be put into service 2013. The largest satellite manufacturer in Russia is Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems (formerly called NPO PM). It is main contractor for the GLONASS
program and produces the Ekspress series of communications satellites. The company is located in Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai
and employs around 6,500 people. The leading rocket engine company is Energomash
, designer and producer of the famous RD-180 engine. In electric spacecraft propulsion, OKB Fakel
, located in Kaliningrad Oblast
, is one of the top companies. NPO Lavochkin is Russia's main planetary probe designer. It is responsible for the high-profile Fobos-Grunt mission, Russia's first attempt at an interplanetary probe since Mars 96
.
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, which peaked in the last years of the 1990s. Funding of the space program declined by 80% and the industry lost a large part of its work force, until recovery begun in the early 2000s. Many companies survived by creating joint-ventures with foreign companies and marketing their products abroad. In the mid-2000s, in wave of the general improvement in the economy, funding of the country's space program was substantially increased and a new ambitious federal space plan was introduced, resulting in a great improvement in the industry. The largest company of the industry is RKK Energia, the main manned space flight contractor. Leading launch vehicle producers are Khrunichev
Khrunichev
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow...
and TsSKB Progress. Largest satellite developer is Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, while NPO Lavochkin is the main developer of interplanetary probes.
Post-Soviet adjustments
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
was a formidable, capable and well-funded complex, which scored a number of great successes. Spending on the space program
Soviet space program
The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991...
peaked in 1989, when its budget totaled 6.9 billion rubles, amounting to 1.5% of the Soviet Unions gross domestic product. During the perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
period of the late 1980s, the space program's funding began to decrease, and this was seriously accelerated by the economic hardships of the 1990s. The Russian Federation inherited the major part of the infrastructure and companies of the Soviet program (while others, such as Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau , located in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, is a designer of satellites and rockets, and formerly of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles established by Mikhail Yangel. Yuzhnoye's OKB designation was OKB-586....
, became Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), but found itself unable to continue the appropriate level of financing. By 1998, the space program's funding had been cut by 80%.
To coordinate the country's space activities, on 25 February 1992, the Russian Federal Space Agency
Russian Federal Space Agency
The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
was created. During Soviet times, there had been no central agency; instead, the design bureaus had been very powerful. To an extent, this continued during the first years of the agency, which suffered from a lack of authority while the design bureaus fought to survive in the difficult environment.
The crisis years
In 1993, the most prestigious program of the industry, the Buran space shuttle, was canceled. It had been worked on for 20 years by the industry's best companies, and the cancellation immediately resulted in a 30% reduction in the industry's work force. 300,000 people worked in the industry at the end of 1994, down from 400,000 in 1987, and the space program's funding now amounted to just 0.23% of the country's budget.The final phase of the space program's contradiction took place during the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Much of the budgeted money never arrived at the companies. The space industry continued to shed work force, and soon only 100,000 people remained. Wages were also cut: for example at the leading rocket engine producer Energomash
Energomash
The Energomash Corporation is a Russian power and engineering company. Energomash manufactures small cogeneration plants as well as wide variety of components for the energy industry...
, the average monthly salary during this time was 3,000 rubles ($104). The space industry's physical infrastructure declined greatly, and this was symbolised by the destruction of one of the Buran space shuttles. No funds were available to look after the shuttle's hangar in Baikonur
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
and it collapsed on the shuttle in May 2002.
Foreign partnerships
Khrunichev
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow...
was especially successful. On 15 April 1993 Khrunichev created the Lockheed-Khrunichev-Energia joint venture with the American company Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
. In 1995, due to the merger of Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
and Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...
, it was transformed into International Launch Services
International Launch Services
International Launch Services is a U.S.-Russian joint venture with exclusive rights to the worldwide sale of commercial Proton rocket launch services from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.- Ownership :...
(ILS). The joint venture marketed launches on both the Proton and the American Atlas rockets. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had given permission for the appearance of Proton on the international launch market, but introduced a quota to protect the launch market from "Russian dumping." Despite this, the Proton, built by Khrunichev, was successful and by the end of 2000 had earned launch contracts worth over $1.5 billion. Since 1994, the Proton has earned $4.3 billion for the Russian space industry as a whole, and in 2011 this figure is expected to raise to $6 billion.
Another successful company was Energomash
Energomash
The Energomash Corporation is a Russian power and engineering company. Energomash manufactures small cogeneration plants as well as wide variety of components for the energy industry...
, whose extremely powerful RD-180 engine was installed on American Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
rockets. The rocket's manufacturer Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
initially bought 101 RD-180 engines from Energomash, earning the company $1 billion in hard currency.
New federal space plan
In the early 2000s, during Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's presidency, the Russian economy started recovering, growing more each year than in all of the previous decade. The funding outlook for Russia's space program started to look more favourable.
In 2001, the development of the GLONASS
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
satellite navigation system was made a government priority with the introduction of a new Federal Targeted Program. The main contractor for GLONASS
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
, NPO PM, thus received a boost in its finances. In total, 4.8 billion rubles was allocated for the space program in 2001, of which 1.6 billion was earmarked for GLONASS. By 2004, Russia's space spending had grown to 12 billion rubles. In 2005, a new strategy for the development of the country's space program, titled the Federal Space Plan 2006-2015, was approved. It stipulated the completion of the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, development of the Angara rocket family, introduction of a new manned spacecraft and completion of the GLONASS constellation, among others.
In the mid-2000s, funding of the space program continued to improve substantially, amounting to 21.59 billion rubles in 2005 and rising to 23 billion rubles in 2006. In 2007, 24.4 billion rubles was spent on the civilian space program, while the military space program's budget was 11 billion rubles. The industry also continued to receive very substantial funds from exports and foreign partnerships.
Under Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
's presidency, space technology was named of the key areas of the country's modernisation programme
Medvedev modernisation programme
The Medvedev modernisation programme is an initiative launched by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev in 2009, which aims at modernising Russia's economy and society, decreasing the country's dependency on oil and gas revenues and creating a diversified economy based on high technology and innovation...
. Spending increased to 82 billion rubles ($2.4 billion) in 2009. In 2011, the government is planning to spend 115 billion rubles ($3.8 bln) in the national space programs.
Structure of the industry
Soyuz-TMA
The Soyuz-TMA is a recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft, superseded in 2010 by the Soyuz TMA-M..It is used by the Russian Federal Space Agency for human spaceflight...
and Progress spacecraft and the Russian end of the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. It employs around 22,000-30,000 people. Progress State Research and Production Rocket Space Center
Progress State Research and Production Rocket Space Center
The Progress State Research and Production Space Centre is a Russian "Federal State Unitary Enterprise" under the jurisdiction of Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency responsible for space science and aerospace research...
(TsSKB Progress) is the developer and producer of the famous Soyuz
Soyuz (rocket)
The Soyuz was a Soviet expendable carrier rocket designed by OKB-1 and manufactured by State Aviation Plant No. 1 in Samara, Russia. It was used to launch Soyuz spacecraft as part of the Soyuz programme, initially on unmanned test flights, followed by the first 19 manned launches of the...
launch vehicle. The Soyuz-FG
Soyuz-FG
The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle is an improved version of the Soyuz-U, from the R-7 family of rockets, designed and constructed by TsSKB-Progress in Samara...
version is used to launch manned spacecraft, while the international joint-venture Starsem
Starsem
Starsem is a European-Russian company that was created in 1996 to commercialise the Soyuz launcher. Starsem is headquartered in Évry, France and has the following shareholders:* Russian Federal Space Agency...
markets commercial satellite launches on the other versions. TsSKB Progress is currently leading the development of a new launcher called Rus-M
Rus-M
Rus-M was a proposed launcher design which was intended to become Russia's main launch vehicle for manned spaceflight after 2018, and an integral part of the Prospective Piloted Transport System which included a new manned spacecraft being developed to replace the Soyuz.Rus-M was being developed by...
, which is to replace the Soyuz. Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is one of the commercially most successful companies of the space industry. It is the developer of the Proton-M
Proton-M
The Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is a Russian carrier rocket derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services , and generally...
rocket and the Fregat
Fregat
Fregat is a type of rocket stage developed by NPO Lavochkin in the 1990s. Its main engine is a liquid propellant rocket that uses UDMH and N2O4 as propellants.- Specifications :...
upper stage. The company's new Angara rocket family is expected to be put into service 2013. The largest satellite manufacturer in Russia is Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems (formerly called NPO PM). It is main contractor for the GLONASS
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
program and produces the Ekspress series of communications satellites. The company is located in Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai
Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai
Zheleznogorsk is a closed town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, with a developed nuclear industry. It was formerly known as Krasnoyarsk-26. Population: -History:...
and employs around 6,500 people. The leading rocket engine company is Energomash
Energomash
The Energomash Corporation is a Russian power and engineering company. Energomash manufactures small cogeneration plants as well as wide variety of components for the energy industry...
, designer and producer of the famous RD-180 engine. In electric spacecraft propulsion, OKB Fakel
OKB Fakel
OKB Fakel is a Russian electric propulsion system development company. It is located in Neman in Kaliningrad Oblast.- Overview :Fakel specializes in spacecraft attitude control thrusters, ion engines and plasma sources. It is a world leader in the field of Hall thruster development and a leading...
, located in Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
, is one of the top companies. NPO Lavochkin is Russia's main planetary probe designer. It is responsible for the high-profile Fobos-Grunt mission, Russia's first attempt at an interplanetary probe since Mars 96
Mars 96
Mars 96 was a failed Mars mission launched in 1996 to investigate Mars by the Russian Space Forces and not directly related to the Soviet Mars probe program of the same name. After failure of the second fourth-stage burn, the probe assembly re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, breaking up over a...
.
Launcher manufacturers
- TsSKB Progress: Soyuz-FGSoyuz-FGThe Soyuz-FG launch vehicle is an improved version of the Soyuz-U, from the R-7 family of rockets, designed and constructed by TsSKB-Progress in Samara...
, Soyuz-USoyuz-UThe Soyuz-U launch vehicle is an improved version of the original Soyuz LV. Soyuz-U is part of the R-7 family of rockets based on the R-7 Semyorka missile. Members of this rocket family were designed by the TsSKB design bureau and constructed at the Progress Factory in Samara, Russia....
, Soyuz-2, Rus-MRus-MRus-M was a proposed launcher design which was intended to become Russia's main launch vehicle for manned spaceflight after 2018, and an integral part of the Prospective Piloted Transport System which included a new manned spacecraft being developed to replace the Soyuz.Rus-M was being developed by...
(in development) - KhrunichevKhrunichevKhrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow...
: Proton, Proton-MProton-MThe Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is a Russian carrier rocket derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services , and generally...
, Angara (in development), Briz-MBriz-MThe Briz-M , is a Russian orbit insertion upper stage manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and used on the Proton-M rocket.- Characteristics :... - Production Corporation PolyotProduction Corporation PolyotProduction Association Polyot is a Russian aerospace engineering company best known for being the manufacturer of GLONASS satellites and the Kosmos-3M space launch vehicle...
Manned spaceflight contractors
- RKK Energiya: International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
, Soyuz-TMASoyuz-TMAThe Soyuz-TMA is a recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft, superseded in 2010 by the Soyuz TMA-M..It is used by the Russian Federal Space Agency for human spaceflight...
, Soyuz-TMA-M
Satellite developers
- JSC Information Satellite SystemsJSC Information Satellite SystemsJSC Information Satellite Systems - Reshetnev Company is a Russian satellite manufacturing company. It is based in the closed city of Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai near the city of Krasnoyarsk. The company was formerly called NPO PM.- Overview :...
: GLONASSGLONASSGLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
, Express - NPO Lavochkin: Elektro–LElektro–LElektro–L is a new-generation series of meteorological satellites developed for the Russian Federal Space Agency by NPO Lavochkin. The first satellite, Elektro–L 1, was launched on 20 January 2011. It is the first Russian weather satellite that successfully operates in geostationary orbit, and is...
- Gazprom Space SystemsGazprom Space SystemsOJSC Gazprom Space Systems , previously known as ' , is a Russian communications satellite operator and developer.-Overview:Gascom currently operates three Yamal telecommunication satellites, designed and built jointly with the Energia space corporation...