S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia

OAO S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (Russian: Ракетно-космическая корпорация "Энергия" им. С.П.Королева Raketno-kosmicheskaya korporatsiya "Energiya" im. S.P.Koroleva), also known as RKK Energiya, is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components. It is the prime developer and contractor of the Russian manned spaceflight program; it also owns a majority of Sea Launch.^[1]

1 Overview
2 Structure
3 History
4 Ongoing projects
5 Future projects
6 Historic projects
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Overview

Energia is the largest company of the Russian space industry and one of its key players. It is responsible for all operations involving manned spaceflight and is the lead developer of the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, and the lead developer of the Russian end of the International Space Station. Currently, the company employs between 22,000 — 30,000 people.^[2]

The enterprise has been awarded with 4 Orders of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution and Russian Federation President's Message of Thanks. In addition, 14 cosmonauts employed by the company have been awarded the title "Hero of the Russian Federation".^[3]

Structure

The company consists of the following subsidiaries and branches:^[3]

Primary Design Bureau
Baikonur branch
ZAO Experimental Machinebuilding Plant
ZAO Volzhskoye DB
ZAO PO Kosmos

In addition, the company possesses a developed social infrastructure.^[3]

38% of the company's stock is owned by the Russian state.^[3]

History

The company was founded on 16 May 1946 and has been known successively as: Special Design Bureau number 1 of R&D Institute number 88 (Russian: ОКБ-1 НИИ-88 or OKB-1 of NII-88), TsKBEM, NPO Energia and S.P. Korolev RSC Energia. It is named after the first chief of its design bureau Sergei Korolev (1946–1966). His successors as chief designers were: Vasiliy Mishin (1966–1974), Valentin Glushko (1974–1989), Yuriy Semenov (1989–2005), Nikolay Sevastyanov (2005–2007). Its current President and Chief designer is Vitaliy Lopota.

Ongoing projects

Energia builds Russia's Soyuz TMA spacecraft for 3-person human spaceflight missions and Progress M robotic spacecraft for cargo missions.

Russian segment of ISS: providing its own cosmonauts for ISS expeditions; responsibility for all Russian scientific experiments.

Sea Launch project participation - production of block DM-SL as the upper stage for Ukrainian launch vehicle Zenit-3SL.

Universal Spacecraft Configuration - usage for development of: communications satellites, remote sensing satellites, navigation satellites and unmanned orbital servicing satellites. USC was a basis for "Yamal-100" and "Yamal-200" satellites.

Future projects

Further assembly of ISS Russian segment: development of Multipurpose Laboratory Module (together with Krunichev Space Centre) and "Oka" space production modules (not permanently attached to ISS).

Development of new spacecraft with 3 stages:
1. Modernization of "Soyuz TMA" spacecraft for manned circum-lunar missions - pending commercial orders for space tourism.
2. Development of "Parom" space tug (in order to replace "Progress M" cargo spacecraft).
3. Development of multi-aimed Prospective Piloted Transport System (PPTS, Rus') (instead of abandoned Kliper project) for 6 persons.

Development of manned lunar program: landing by 2025, creating of permanent lunar base by 2030 in order to extract helium-3.

Development of manned Mars mission: landing beyond 2035.

Development of "Yamal-300" and "Yamal-400" communication satellites for Gazprom corporation.

Development of "Smotr" remote sensing satellites.

Development of a pod designed for clearing near-Earth space of satellite debris. The new device is planned to be assembled by 2020 and tested by 2023. The concept is to build the device to use a nuclear power source so that it could remain on task for up to 15 years, primarily working in the geosynchronous orbit zone. Debris collected would be de-orbited to re-enter over the ocean.^[4]