Russian space industry heads moving

[Danderman]

Russian aerospace corporation chief suspected of office abuse

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/728235

President of Russian Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia Vitaly Lopota is suspected of office abuse, spokesperson of the Russian Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.

“The investigation department of Russia’s Investigative Committee in the Central Federal District filed a criminal case against president of RSC Energia Vitaly Lopota. He is suspected of office abuse under Article 201 Part 1 of Russia’s Criminal Code,” Markin said.

Detectives found that “in 2010, Lopota who performed managerial functions at RSC Energia gave instructions to the leadership of its subsidiary, an experimental machine-building plant of RSC Energia, to grant loans to two companies participating in commercial space project Sea Launch.”

[Danderman]

Commentary: This is huge news. I doubt that this is about Energia re-directing money from Soyuz to SeaLaunch, there is probably something else going on.

Perhaps this is a pretext for the government removing SeaLaunch from Energia, and running it directly.

[B. Hendrickx]

Izvestiya reports that although RKK Energiya chief Vitaliy Lopota’s fate is hanging in the balance, he is considering to relocate Sea Launch from Long Beach, California to the Crimea.

http://izvestia.ru/news/572053

A quick translation :

“Vitaliy Lopota is continuing his attempts to save the Sea Launch project. According to a source close to the RKK Energiya management, Lopota’s latest idea is to relocate “Sea Launch” to the Crimea and to create the necessary infrastructure there to service the complex. Russia has promised investments in the Crimean industry which according to Lopota could be directed to the creation of a [homeport] for “Sea Launch”.  Lopota himself refused to comment on the idea of relocating “Sea Launch” to the Crimea, emphasizing that he has not yet officially submitted such a proposal.

At the present time “Sea Launch” is based in California. Last year Roskosmos managers came to the conclusion that servicing [the Sea Launch complex] in the US restricts the possibilities of using the complex in the interests of Russia. At that time the Crimea did not yet belong to Russia and [Roskosmos head] Ostapenko proposed to consider the possibility of relocating Sea Launch to the Far East [of Russia], more particularly to Sovetskaya Gavan’ or Vladivostok. The government did not make such a decision. According to Roskosmos specialists it would cost about $1 billion to create the necessary infrastructure at the new homeport : an assembly building, a storage facility for rocket parts, a factory to produce liquid oxygen and nitrogen, a kerosene storage facility and other facilities.

Oleg Ostapenko has refused to comment on the prospects of the Sea Launch complex. A decision on the [future of Sea Launch] will be made on government level. According to the deputy general director of Yuzhmashzavod Sergei Voit “Sea Launch” at the present time has two potential customers : one of them wants to launch its satellite in 2016 and the other as soon as Yuzhmash can manufacture a rocket.”

[fregate]

According to Izvestia article by Ivan Cheberko, Board of directors fired V.Lopota on 1st of August 2014
Vladimir Solntsev (head of Energomash) temporarily assigned to the role of RSC Energia President until further decision.   

[baldusi]

How sad to hear this. Is this the second time the head of Energomash replaces the head of Energia?

[fregate]

How sad to hear this. Is this the second time the head of Energomash replaces the head of Energia?

It's still unclear what is going on. Lopota coud be working in ORKK (United Rocket & Space Corporation), return to Cenre of Robotics (St. Peterburg) or still work in Energia or like V.Mishsin would became a University Professor.
Sea Launch project most likely would be cancelled - that would mean end of Zenit production (sooner or later)
V.Solntsev would be an acting President of RSC Energia untill emergency shareholder meeting. Somebody else would held a post of Energia Cheif Designer and if shareholders would be happy with Solntsev as permanent President of Corporation, his post in Energomash would be filled by somebody else. ORKK decided to split roles of Head of company and Chief Designers for all aerospace companies.
Next object of it's attention would be Khrunichev Center.           

[fregate]

Kremlinology 101 - news from Moscow about new assignments in Russian Space industry:   

Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev (former Soviet/Russian Cosmonaut, former Head of Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center and current Vice-President of RSC Energia) became a first deputy of the General Director of the TsNIIMash (Russian leading Aerospace R&D think tank). He would be in charge of Deep Space Manned Exploration Program (including but not limited by Russian Manned Lunar Exploration Program).   


Vitaliy Alexandrovich Lopota (former President and Chief Designer of RSC Energia) accepted a new role of the Vice-President of the United Rocket & Space Corporation (ORKK).


Vladimir Lvovich Solntsev (former CEO of NPO ENERGOMASH) replaced V.Lopota as a President of RSC Energia. IMHO it's a good move for Energia - like Glushko in his time he would lobby for more active participation in LV design, and who knows but it might eventually lead to developing a brand new SHLV (Another former Head of NPO Energomash V.Glushko managed Energia-Buran Program from 1976). 


Andrey Kalinovskiy (former President of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft) became a General Director of GNPTs Khrunichev 



A bold castling on Russian aerospace industry chessboard in action

[baldusi]

I find Andrey Kalinovskiy a strange move. Is it common to move from aircraft to rocket industry? AIUI, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 project was not very successful, and the operator's opinion of the craft was, at least at first, not expressible with gentleman's words.

[fregate]

I find Andrey Kalinovskiy a strange move. Is it common to move from aircraft to rocket industry? AIUI, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 project was not very successful, and the operator's opinion of the craft was, at least at first, not expressible with gentleman's words.

In IT industry we always joked that manager who did not succeeded with X-million project already suitable for project with budget around 2X-3X millions because he had  PROJECT (MIS)MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE for projects of similar scale

[fregate]

10 August 2014
According to Izvetia newspaper Andrey Tjulin would became a General Director of the "Russian Space Systems" (RKS) in September 2014. He would replace Gennady Rajkunov and leave current post of General Director Deputy of the "Radioelectronic Technologies Concern".


8 August 2014
NPO Energomash would be led by Chief Designer Vladimir Chvanov, according to the statement of the Head of URSC (United Rocket & Space Corporation) Igor Komarov. Position became vacant earlier this month when CEO of NPO Energomash Vladimir Solntsev became a President of RSC Energia. Most likely another manager would became a new NPO Energomash Chief Designer.       


Head of "Russian Space Systems" (RKS) Gennady Rajkunov had been promoted and would became a Vice-President of URSC
(United Rocket & Space Corporation) effective 27th of August according to the statement of the Head of URSC Igor Komarov.


Former Acting General Director of PO Polyot (Omsk's branch of Khrunichev Space Centre) Nikolay Ivanov had been promoted to General Director of PO Polyot and General Director Deputy of Khrunichev Space Centre according to the announcement published on centre's web site.       


Former General Director of Khrunichev Space Centre Alexander Seliverstov promoted  had been promoted and would became a Vice-President of URSC (United Rocket & Space Corporation) according to the statement made by Head of Roscosmos Oleg Ostapenko during his visit to a Space Center (according to press-release from Russian Federal Space Agency). He was replaced by Alexander Kalinovskiy.

[baldusi]

So they are basically moving everybody "up" to ORKK?

[Danderman]

So they are basically moving everybody "up" to ORKK?

Or to this "Russian Space Systems", which seems new.

[input~2]

I 've just renamed this thread to be in line with most recent posts

[fregate]

So they are basically moving everybody "up" to ORKK?

Or to this "Russian Space Systems", which seems new.

According to company web site http://www.spacecorp.ru/en/about/
it had been known under other name - it got first order in 1956 (for development of strategic ICBM R-5)!

ALL new is GOOD forgotten OLD
Ok More history 1946 NII-885 (R&D Institute-885)
1966 Renamed to R&D Institute of Instrumentation Engineering
1991 Renamed to R&D Institute of Space Instrumentation Engineering
1998 Renamed to Russian R&D Institute of Space Instrumentation Engineering
2009 Became Public Listed Company  Russian R&D Institute of Space Instrumentation Engineering & Information Systems after merging with other companies. 

[fregate]

According to the statement of news agency RIA NOVOSTI made on 27th of Aug 2014,  the Head of United Rocket & Space Corporation (ORKK) Igor Komarov does not anticipates any significant movements in senior management of Russian rocket & space industry companies. "Not planned" he said, "but if any movement would occur we will inform accordingly"