A big interview with Vladimir Popovkin, the present Head of Roscosmos, that was published in Kommersant Russian newspaper (http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1694123) - note that it happened before the two latest accidents with Russian launches. I used Google translator to do the crude work and looked throgh the text to restore meaningfullness in places where it was lost. I highlighted the sentences I considered most important.
"To abandon what requires years of development, but gives no return"
After reviewing the state of the industry, the new leadership of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) have formed quite a clear view on how they need to change it. Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin told "Kommersant" on what prospects he sees for his department and what are them for all Russian spaceflight as a whole.
"The biggest problem is in oversized industry"
- Vladimir Alexandrovich, let's talk directly about the current Federal Space Agency. Last year brought a record amount of funding of $ 2.3 billion. Is, in your opinion, this amount sufficient to solve the tasks that you set for yourself, or you want more?
- You mentioned a figure only in the federal space program of Russia, and yet apart from it we have GLONASS program, which is allocated fairly large amount.
There is a targeted program of military-industrial complex development, aimed at modernizing the industry itself. In addition, the Federal Space Agency participates in the program "National Technological Base", "Development of electronic components and electronics," and several others. So in general we can speak of
a total of about 100 billion rubles.
- Is this amount sufficient or not?
- To implement any sensible idea federal agencies never have enough money. We live within the economic opportunities which exist today. And in order to solve problems in space, this money is considerably sufficient. You just have to be able to channel them wisely. And for that we need to establish clear priorities that need
to be deficit-free funded in advance. We must abandon what requires years of development, but provides no benefits. We must be more courageous in order to abort developments, if futility of the ideas behind them it becomes apparent. This should be done. In general, once again, for the main activities we have enough money, but in the period from 2013 to 2020 funding should increase by 4-6% per annum over the inflation growth.
- Spaking of priorities: what are them now?
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The Russian Space Agency, unfortunately, at some point had made a very large bias to the manned space programs - whose the budget takes nearly half the agency's budget. This is despite the fact that today there are no big problems manned space projects can solve in the near Earth space.
Really, for 50 years in the Soviet Union and Russia in space, the experts found, identified and addressed almost all the problems associated with lifting a person at an altitude of 300-350 km above the Earth. Yes, Russia has obligations under the International Space Station, which need to be implemented, but the Federal Space Agency has plans to significantly
increase the share of funding for projects aimed at creating a satellite-based communications, navigation, remote sensing, as well as the creation of meteorological satellites. It is important to make sure that all areas of life could fully exploit possibilities provided by space-based information. Given the geography of our country, satellite technology, should be key, especially in terms of communication, for example, access to the Internet. After all, isn't it hard to entwist our entire country in wires? It's hard. Without space means many things in the XXI century are impossible to implement. This is where we will be shifting priorities in the federal space program, and in the development, and in general all of the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Second priority is scientific research.
- Is it right that launch of the laboratory "Spektr-R" began the new phase of space research?
- The priorities in this area - the study of galaxies, the processes occurring in outer space, nearby solar system planets, the search for life. With the help of these space missions, scientists will try to predict what may lay in the future, what will await the earth's civilization, what of the knowledge gained could be used for the benefit of mankind. It is how man is different from all other living beings. He has a mind that seeks for new discoveries, knowledge and accomplishments.
- It any kind of restructuring of the Russian Federal Space Agency expected in connection with this?
- I will tell you the secret. Apparently, the structure of the Russian Federal Space Agency as a federal executive authority will be reviewed. It will create several new offices. The process is nearing completion, and the agency will pay particular attention to the management of organizations operating in the structure of the Russian Space Agency, the set of issues related to property, corporate governance. It's necessary to raise the value of financial and economic bloc in order to more efficiently use resources in the enterprise. To make it more evident that the funds go where there the outcome really is. This process coincided with the decision of the Russian Government to reduce civil servants by 20% to 2013: 5% will be reduced in 2011-2012, and 10% - in 2013.
- What are the main problems in the space industry?
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The biggest problem is in oversizing of industry. Taking into account the financial resources that were called, we can't put workload to the entire aerospace industry. The load of enterprises is on average 33-35%.
Therefore it's necessary to optimize the industry. The first phase of this optimization Roskosmos has already passed by constructing holdings on the vertical lines.
The next step is to connect the vertical holdings to each other. To start the optimization of the horizontal direction. It now will be done.
"There should not be a situation when someone devours another"
- Speaking with regard to holding companies. It so happened that the Khrunichev Center has created its own holding, but the corporation "Energia", who wanted to annex "TsSKB-Progress", did not manage to. Do you plan to create new holdings?
- I believe that the stage when we set up vertical structures in Roskosmos is completed. And now not vertical but horizontal integration should begin. There should be a situation where someone devours another.
Businesses must come under one management company, which must not wipe out the old, inefficient structure, baut rather optimize it. In fact, many enterprises focused on the entire industry, hitting a vertically integrated holding company, began to forget that the industry is still a bit wider than the one holding in which they are. It is planned that the restructuring will create three or four major corporations, or as we call them else, integrated structures. In 2011, the main task is
to form a corporation "Comet" (JSC "Corporation of space systems for special purposes" Comet"), "Space Systems named after Iosifyan" (JSC "SPC" Space systems for monitoring, information management and electromechanical complexes named for Iosifyan "), creating a structure based on CDB of heavy machinery, as well as expansion of Khrunichev Company. In general, the end of the year there should be 14 integrated companies, covering more than 50% of the industry. Then we will plan further changes.
- And what will happen with State Rocket Center Makeyev, Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering and the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant? Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said the creation of their holding out of them during the visit of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the Votkinsk plant.
- At present date, complete corporatization of the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering, State Rocket Center Makeyev is done. In the latter, incidentally, was incorporated "Krasmash" (Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant). The formation of holding company for the management systems of combat missile systems based on CDB for heavy machinery. This is the first step.
Subsequently, all holdings are united into one, which will tentatively be called "Strategic Missiles." In addition, today we discuss the issue of inclusion of "NPO Machine Building " into it.
- And what about the spaceport Vostochny? What tasks will it solve? How much money do you need to build it?
- Creating a spaceport it's not cheap, let's face it. Today there are ground-based infrastructure design, technical, and launch complex support systems. The latter, incidentally, need to start to be built later this year. Roads will be laid there. I have given the task to study how to provide the place with electricity. As appearance of the new missile launch pad will be start to build, exclusion zones for falling rocket debris will be determined. Overall, the creation of Spaceport is currently planned to be allocated with about 250 billion rubles.
- Will Baikonur, which is leased until 2050, not lose its significance then ?
- The potential of the Baikonur cosmodrome today is sufficient to ensure that its facilities can still be operated for decades. Vostochny is a spaceport of tomorrow. You can not just transfer there the entire infrastructure that exists in Baikonur. Nor should one do it. In the east there will be new developments, new story.
The new "Angara" rocket will fly both from Vostochny, and from Baikonur. If Russia had not seen the sense in the "most running" launch site of the world, it would not be there to create complex "Baiterek", which will fly with the same "Angara". In general, Vostochny is being built in order to avoid future political risks.
- And how is the situation at Kourou in French Guiana?
- October 20, 2011 launch vehicle "Soyuz-ST" will start from the Guiana Space Center, to carry its payload into orbit - two spacecraft Galileo IOV of European Space Agency.
All obligations of the Russian side before their partners on this matter were carried out - in late July, once again we reaffirmed our readiness to the beginning of the launch campaign. In mid-August preparation of the upper stage "Fregat" begins, and then follows preparing of the three stages of the launch complex.
"Do not forget: space is a risky business"
- Since we touched the subject of carrier rockets, how long do you intend to exploit the "Proton"? Are you not afraid of history repeating itself in 1999 when there were two unsuccessful launches at Baikonur lead to temporary suspension of launches of these rockets?
- After those accidents a package of measures to reduce the harmful effects during launch of "Proton" rockets was designed and implemented. As a result, the residual amount of fuel was reduced, thus made it more complete consumption from the stages. Still, do not forget: space is a risky business. There is always some fraction of the probability of accidents, but our rockets are most reliable.
- Can "Angara-A5" replace "Proton"?
- "Angara" is created exactly to replace the "Proton". But it should replace it after the cycle of flight tests, entering the margins of acceptable reliability, in order to be able to begin being used for commercial launches. Heavy rockets put the spacecraft into geostationary orbit. And it costs billions of dollars. It is quite natural that customers want a guarantee of a successful launching them into orbit. For them, not so important in the event of an accident to get insurance payments - they need to have their equipment working. "Angara" has a future, but commercial use seems to begin not earlier than the 2017-2018 period.
- Since we touched upon the subject of satellites, what new satellite systems are planned to develop in the coming years? What was included in the state armaments program through 2020?
- As part of the state defense order the Ministry of Defence will order reconnaissance and communications satellites. As for the Federal Space Program of Russia, the Federal Space Agency will step up and replenish the constellation of satellites of social-economic purpose. By 2015, the group should increase twice in comparison with what we have now. All the satellites are registered in the program, but they must be ranked by priority of funding and by priority of launch date. And we shall look after that with hard stance.
The program was beautifully written much earlier, but, unfortunately, the timing of commissioning the spacecraft is constantly postponed. Because of this program is corrected time after time. The reason was the even distribution of funds that were allocated without the allocation of priorities. Now this is fixed. Saying specifically, the agency will develop a line of research spaceflight - space vehicles such as
"Spektr-RG", "Spektr-UV," "Spektr-M", "Phobos-Grunt" ... A whole family of units for Remote Sensing like "Resurs-P" will be created, and, of course, GLONASS system will continue to be developed.
- By the end of this year formation of the entire GLONASS system is planned. When the next launches will happen?
- The nearest launch will be committed in August from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, and then we plan to launch yet another single-payload rocket. In October three more GLONASS-M satellites will be launched in group with the carrier rocket "Proton", and at the end of the year one new generation machine, GLONASS-K, will launch. This year, the group is planned to be brought up to the wholeness and we begin the process of certification in international organizations. This is done in order to implement the decision of the leadership of our country on the free provision of GLONASS to the world community. But in order to enable them to use our achievements,
we must certify GLONASS in a number of organizations. That's what we are doing.
"There must be invariant"
- After the unsuccessful launch of three GLONASS-M satellites in December 2010 the upper stage DM-03 was withdrawn from service. Are you about to reinstate it again for service?
- DM-03 is a new upper stage, although, in fact, is the foundation of the old block with replaced components. After the unsuccessful launch of GLONASS devices we did not only had figured out fuel was overfilled. We analyzed how its testing was conducted in general. And after a thorough analysis we produced a set of measures for fine-tuning the upper stage. People correctly notice it in the saying: having scalded yourself on hot milk, you blow at any water. It is necessary that its reliability would comply to the set requirements. When the fine-tuning plan is executed, then this unit will be used further. In all likelihood, it will be executed until the end of this year or in the first quarter of the next. And meanwhile the October's GLONASS-M satellites will fly on the upper stage "Breeze". Incidentally, this example proves that there must be invariant. After all, if the upper stage DM-03 was the only one in use and irreplaceable, we would now be simply stacked over with the entire space program, with "Proton" rockets, commerce, military satellites, which should be laucnhed.
- And since we've touched matter of such failures that occur, it is logical to ask about insuring of space risks. How will the problem be solved?
- Insurance - this is an interesting question! When the spacecraft starts to fall down, we are asked the questions: why did you not insure? When everything is fine and everything is launched, then talks begin that there is no money for insurance, and why care about that if everything goes smoothly. I will not hide anything: there are some problems with the coordination of these issues. Now the Federal Space Agency is to proactively prepare our instruction on the order of insuring of spacecraft launches. I believe that in August it will be agreed upon within the Russian Space Agency, then we will give it a temporary status and start to work in accordance with it. After that it should be agreed upon at the federal level.
The idea is that the cost of the device should include the cost of insurance. This is a worldwide practice. But everything will be considered on an individual basis. For example, the spacecraft "Spektr-M" can be insured for its full value, but this is simply useless. There we should think more about insurance for damage which may be brought in case of accidental launch.
Full insurance should be applied to mass production - to the GLONASS satellites, for example. Imagine that the lost GLONASS satellites had been insured for full value - then you could get the insurance amount and make up for the loss in time. There are no secrets Roskosmos will make out of this. All the information about insurance is to be placed in the public domain. And second, what the agency will do very carefully is choosing our insurance companies themselves. Unfortunately, this theme is of backstage nature, but we want to give it publicity, as much as it is possible. Companies will be selected on the basis of history of their work in the market, the proposed premium rates, terms of engagement with the rocket-space industry. It is planned to create a pool of insurance companies, of which you can choose the most appropriate insurance for your risks.
I note that in 2010, 38 launches were insured to the amount of 551.1 million rubles. There were two insurance cases. The amount that was paid, up to 115 million rubles.
In 2011, 17 satellites were insured. We spent 640.6 million rubles on that.
- What is your personal attitude toward manned space flight?
- If we see the results of manned space flight, it is useful. If a person just wants to go to orbit, I believe this is an inefficient activity. A useful outcome is necessary to have.
- How do you treat space tourism? Why is it so poorly developed in Russia?
- I would not say that tourism is underdeveloped in Russia. Until now we have been the only country that launched space tourists.
- But there was not a single space tourist from Russia.
- We send those who paid the money.
Space tourism is a kind of commercial services provided for tourists by their own funds.
- Will a special ship for tourists be created, as RCS "Energia" planned?
- Space tourism must be carried out on extra money behind funding. If the corporation "Energia", or any other corporation, or tourists themselves will be able to find them and build a ship, then such tourism has the right to exist. Space tourism at the expense of the budget funds is not a space tourism, but a different thing. This idea will be insisted on by Roskosmos. We are out for space tourism, but first you should create a business plan, and we will help to secure loans. But
there should not be a reflection of this issue in the state's program.
- Will there be a replacement for the created series of "Soyuz" ships, which were operated for many decades?
- Yes, of course. Today, in this matter there are several directions, each of which is considered carefully. There is a project of such a ship RSC "Energia" is doing that.
The first option is intended for autonomous targeted use, that is,
for scientific experiments and studies in free flight with a crew of up to four people and a flight duration of up to thirty days.
The second option provides for a ship to transport and maintain
manned orbital stations with the crew of six people. We plan to launch it from Vostochny cosmodrome. Beginning of flight tests will begin at approximately 2018.
- August 16, Aerospace Salon MAKS-2011 opens in Zhukovsky. Exposition of Space Agency will be held in a great booth. This is the first stand of the agency, which is going to be done under your leadership. What's there to be seen?
- In some parts of the stand is to repeat the exposition of the Space Agency, which was exhibited at this year's Le Bourget (Paris Air Show). What has been shown in France, we must show those who were not there. Each company will put on display what it considers most important to show you. Not about everything I would like to say in advance, but the surprises will be there, including those relating to manned spaceflight. And you'll see them.
We attach particular importance to an important date - the 50th anniversary of the flight of Yuri Gagarin into space. It is therefore necessary to show what was done for this half-century and how the Russian space is in headway.
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