For recent developments, see the Delivery Vehicle Facility Developments file.
TsSKB-Progress Structure Background Activities

LOCATION:
Address: 18 ulitsa Pskovskaya, Samara, 443009, Russia
Telephone: (8462) 55-13-61
Fax: (8462) 97-18-86
E-mail: mail@progress.samara.ru
[TsSKB Web Site, www.samspace.ru/kontacts.htm.] {Entered 3/10/04 EMC}
HOMEPAGE: http://www.samspace.ru
SUBORDINATION: Russian Aerospace Agency (Rosaviakosmos)
ADMINISTRATION:
General Director of TsSKB-Progress: Aleksandr Nikolayevich Kirilin
First Deputy General Director/General Designer/Head of TsSKB: Gennadiy Petrovich Anshakov
First Deputy General Director/Chief Engineer: Nikolay Petrovich Rodin
First Deputy General Director for Economic Affairs and Finance: Boris Nikolayevich Melioranskiy
General Designer Emeritus: Dmitriy Ilyich Kozlov
["'TsSKB-Progress' Web Site, http://www.samspace/ru.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC; updated 3/10/2004 EMC}
STRUCTURE:
The TsSKB-Progress State Rocket and Space Scientific Production Center includes the following facilities:
the Central Specialized Design Bureau (TsSKB);
the Progress plant;
a department for economic affairs and coordination;
a department for foreign economic relations; and
a Moscow branch office.
["Federalnoye gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatiye 'Gosudarstvennyy nauchno-proizvodstvennyy raketno-kosmicheskiy tsentr 'TsSKB-Progress' (GNP RKTs 'TsSKB-Progress')'," Raketno-kosmicheskaya promyshlennost Rossii 2001-2002, (Moscow: Rosaviakosmos, 2001), pp. 80-81.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

TsSKB-Progress reportedly also operates a testing center (the Center for Complex Testing) which conducts structural strength, environmental, radiation, vacuum, thermo-vacuum, and other testing of its products.[1]

In addition to its primary activities in the rocket and space industries, there is a subsidiary of TsSKB-Progress that produces a wide variety of consumer goods ranging from tools and furniture to motor boats and medical supplies.[1,2]

The Central Specialized Design Bureau (TsSKB) itself consists of general support services and several specialized divisions, including those for launch vehicles, military spacecraft, and for development of spacecraft for scientific and commercial use. The scientific and commercial division, designated the Foton Design Bureau (FKB) in 1985, engages in marketing and sales of unclassified goods and services produced by the design bureau, which itself operated as a classified venture.[1]
Sources:
[1] "TsSKB (Central Specialized Design Bureau)," FAS Space Policy Project Web Site, http://www.fas.org/spp/civil/russia/tsskb.htm.
[2] "Federalnoye gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatiye 'Gosudarstvennyy nauchno-proizvodstvennyy raketno-kosmicheskiy tsentr 'TsSKB-Progress' (GNP RKTs 'TsSKB-Progress')'," Raketno-kosmicheskaya promyshlennost Rossii 2001-2002, (Moscow: Rosaviakosmos, 2001), pp. 80-81. {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

BACKGROUND:
On 12 April 1996, President Boris Yeltsin issued a presidential edict that created the TsSKB-Progress State Rocket and Space Scientific Production Center by uniting the Central Specialized Design Bureau and the Progress plant. This merger combined the efforts of the two enterprises in order to maximize output from the limited resources budgeted for space monitoring systems and development and production of rockets.[1]

The Progress plant opened in Moscow in 1894 as a large aviation enterprise. During World War I, the entire factory was evacuated to Kuybyshev (present-day Samara). Following a 1958 government decision, Progress Aviation Plant No.1 redirected its industrial capacities to the production of rocket and space hardware, beginning with serial production of the 8K71 rocket, one of the first members of the legendary R-7 [NATO Designation SS-6 'Sapwood']  rocket family developed by TsSKB. From this point forward, Progress served as the primary production facility for rockets and space vehicles developed by TsSKB.[1,2]

The Central Specialized Design Bureau dates its existence to 1958 when Kuybyshev Serial Design Department No.25 was created on the territory of Progress Aviation Plant No.1. This department served as the Kuybyshev branch of Experimental Design Bureau No.1 (OKB-1) (currently RKK Energiya) headed by Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, one of the pioneers of the Soviet rocket and space programs. On 23 July 1959 the department was reorganized into Branch No.3 of OKB-1 and shortly thereafter it began development of the R-7 rocket series. By 1964, the design bureau, under the direction of the former Deputy General Designer of OKB-1, Dmitriy Ilyich Kozlov, assumed responsibility for all work on the R-7 rocket series and remote Earth sensing systems.[2,3] Beginning in the late 1950s, TsSKB also developed and produced the Zenit series of photoreconnaissance satellites, which in part were used to monitor the implementation of international arms control agreements. The Zenit-2 and Zenit-4 satellites were fitted with specialized monitoring equipment and programmed either to return to Earth together with the satellite images or periodically to drop footage in sealed containers before continuing in their orbit.[1]

Following reorganization of OKB-1 in 1967, the design bureau was renamed Branch No.3 of the Central Design Bureau for Experimental Machine-Building (TsKBEM). In 1974, it became an independent organization known as the Central Specialized Design Bureau (TsSKB), responsible for reporting to the Soviet Ministry of General Machine-Building. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, TsSKB registered with the Russian authorities and fell under the domain of the State Committee of the Ministry of Defense. In 1994, its assumed its present status under the aegis of the Russian Aerospace Agency.[2,3]

Between 1957 and 1994, TsSKB designed a substantial number of rockets and space vehicles and participated in the elaboration of civilian space projects.[3] During these years, the design bureau developed eight different types of Vostok, Molniya, and Soyuz-class rockets that were variations on the standard R-7. During the same period, TsSKB, in close cooperation with Progress, developed and produced more than 20 rocket and space vehicle systems for military and civilian application.[1,2] According to statistics maintained by TsSKB, approximately 900 space vehicles, many designed by TsSKB, were launched into orbit between 1959 and 1994 with the assistance of rocket systems manufactured in accordance with designs developed by TsSKB; this represents more than one-third of the spacecraft believed to be launched into orbit by the Soviet Union.[1]

The current General Director/General Designer of TsSKB-Progress, Dmitriy Ilyich Kozlov, is the only individual to hold this post since the design bureau first appeared as Kuybyshev Serial Design Department No.25 in 1958.[1] Kozlov ascended to this position after spending seven years at OKB-1 working under the tutelage of Sergey Pavlovich Korolev as the lead designer of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).[4] During the Soviet period, Kozlov oversaw design and development of the 8A92 Vostok, 11A57 Voskhod, 8K78M Molniya, N-1, Energiya, and 11A511 Soyuz rockets, including the first and second stages of the Vostok booster rocket that propelled Yuriy Gagarin into space.[1,2,5] The design bureau also developed the 12KS Bion space vehicle for studies of space biology, the F-1 Resurs advanced remote sensing satellite, and the 34KS Foton satellite for conducting experiments in microgravity.[3] One of its first commercial transactions involved the 1987 sale to German and French firms of Bion, Resurs, and Foton space vehicles fitted with various scientific equipment.[1] TsSKB also worked on research and design of reconnaissance satellites such as the Zenit and Yantar, which sought to provide the military leadership with higher resolution information over a greater length of time.[3,5,6] These satellites also played an important role in monitoring the implementation of international agreements on arms control.[2,5]

Throughout the 1990s, the production center has suffered from financial difficulties resulting from decreases in state orders for its goods and services and in the amount of funding that the enterprise receives from the state.[5] As a result, TsSKB-Progress currently produces a maximum of 10-12 rockets per year in contrast to approximately 60 in the past. Its staff reportedly dropped by approximately 25% from 1992 to late 1995, at which point an additonal 4,400 employees were laid off.[3,5] According to General Director Kozlov, as of the end of 2002, the government owed the production center approximately two billion rubles ($62.7 million as of 31 December 2002) for completed work. Such significant arrears forced TsSKB-Progress to take out high-interest loans in order to meet its payroll and purchase the necessary inputs for its production cycle. This in turn results in interest payments to the banks in excess of 200 million rubles ($6.3 million as of 31 December 2002) per year.[5]
Sources:
[1] Gleb Vladimirovich Aleksushin, "Istoriya TsSKB," Samarskaya Oblast Web Site, http://old.samara.ru/history/cskb.asp, 27 August 1998.
[2] "Federalnoye gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatiye 'Gosudarstvennyy nauchno-proizvodstvennyy raketno-kosmicheskiy tsentr 'TsSKB-Progress' (GNP RKTs 'TsSKB-Progress')'," Raketno-kosmicheskaya promyshlennost Rossii 2001-2002 (Moscow: Rosaviakosmos, 2001), pp. 80-81.
[3] "TsSKB (Central Specialized Design Bureau)," FAS Space Policy Project Web Site, http://www.fas.org/spp/civil/russia/tsskb.htm.
[4] "Tikhoretsk- rodina 'Progressa'," Yuga.ru Web Site, http://kuban.yuga.ru/index.shtml?art=107, 12 April 2001.
[5] Dmitriy Popov, "Pochetnyy grazhdanin," Gudok, 16 December 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[6] "D.I. Kozlov i odin iz yego sputnikov," Agentura.ru Web Site, http://www.agentura.ru/equipment/kosmos/satellite/oursystem
/samara/, 25 February 2001. {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

ACTIVITIES:
The TsSKB-Progress State Rocket and Space Scientific Production Center currently focuses upon design, production, and modernization of space, rocket, and remote sensing systems. It undertakes these efforts within the framework of the Russian Federal Space Program and on a commercial basis. For example, the Soyuz and the Molniya rocket systems continue to be used by both Russian and foreign space programs. TsSKB-Progress also develops component parts for experimental and established rocket and space systems and other technical equipment.[1] TsSKB-Progress also acts as the sole provider of photo-reconnaissance satellites for the Russian military.[2]

In addition to these activities, TsSKB-Progress personnel support launch preparations and mission control for spacecraft that incorporate systems developed by the production center.[1] TsSKB-Progress also facilitates the advancement of research on biology, medicine, and biotechnology in space through development of the Bion, Foton, and Nika-series civil application satellites.[1,3,4] The Foton project, which is designed to lift into orbit and return to Earth scientific equipment that can be used to conduct experiments on pure alloys and the behavior of organisms in space, is of particular note as it is the only active commercial satellite project in which TsSKB-Progress is engaged as of early 2003. As a result it provides a significant portion of the income that the enterprise receives outside of state funding.[5] The production center also continues to work on improved software and control packages for remote sensing systems.[1]

TsSKB-Progress cooperates in its rocket and space activities with a broad range of Russian partner organizations, including the Isayev Design Bureau for Chemical Machine Building, the Ust-Katavsk Railcar Plant, Glushko Energomash Scientific Production Association (NPO Energomash), NPO Lavochkina, Arsenal Design Bureau, and Motorostroitel. Most of these organizations produce inputs such as engines or other specialized technical equipment that TsSKB-Progress incorporates into its rocket and space system production process.[6]

The production center also actively is engaged in a variety of projects involving international partners such as the French and German Space Agencies.[4,6,7] TsSKB-Progress owns 25% in the French-Russian Starsem joint venture, which undertakes commercial launches of small satellites into low and medium Earth orbits, using a variation of the Soyuz launch vehicle.[6] It also works closely with the European Space Agency on several projects, including experiments on biology and biotechnology in space that are implemented by the Foton specialized satellite, and the planned launch in May 2003 of the Mars-Express spacecraft.[4]

In 1991, TsSKB-Progress together with other rocket and space enterprises formed an industrial association called Sovinformsputnik, headed by Dmitriy Ilyich Kozlov, as part of efforts to convert existing capabilities to civilian applications.[8] Through this organization, TsSKB-Progress has been involved since 1995 in the SPIN-2 project, a Russian-American endeavor to collect detailed satellite images of major urban areas around the world. This information eventually will be made available through the Internet and will be used in city and agricultural planning and in environmental programs.[8,9]

The reduced demand for rocket and space systems, in particular from the state, has forced TsSKB-Progress to branch out into the production of a wide range of consumer goods through its wholly-owned subsidiary. For example, the production center currently manufactures syringes and other medical supplies, equipment for the oil and gas industry, food processing equipment, and machinery for cutting semiconductors.[1]
Sources:
[1] "Federalnoye gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatiye 'Gosudarstvennyy nauchno-proizvodstvennyy raketno-kosmicheskiy tsentr 'TsSKB-Progress' (GNP RKTs 'TsSKB-Progress')'," Raketno-kosmicheskaya promyshlennost Rossii 2001-2002 (Moscow: Rosaviakosmos, 2001), pp. 80-81.
[2] Dmitriy Pieson, "Russia to Launch Reconnaissance Satellites To Monitor Afghanistan," Aerospace Daily, 4 October 2001.
[3] "D.I. Kozlov i odin iz yego sputnikov," Agentura.ru Web Site, http://www.agentura.ru/equipment/kosmos/satellite/oursystem/
samara/, 25 February 2001.
[4] Dmitriy Popov, "Pochetnyy grazhdanin," Gudok, 16 December 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[5] Gleb Stolyarov, "Dvadtsat let spustya," Delo, No. 8, 8 March 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[6] "TsSKB (Central Specialized Design Bureau)," FAS Space Policy Project Web Site, http://www.fas.org/spp/civil/russia/tsskb.htm.
[7] Gleb Vladimirovich Aleksushin, "Istoriya TsSKB," Samarskaya Oblast Web Site, http://old.samara.ru/history/cskb.asp, 27 August 1998.
[8] Boris Melioranskiy, "40 let TsSKB," AviaPanorama Web Site, http://www.aviapanorama.ru/journal/1999_2/64.htm.
[9] "SPIN-2," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Engineering Center Web Site, http://www.tec.army.mil/tio/SPIN2.htm. {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

ARCHIVED TsSKB-PROGRESS DEVELOPMENTS (For more recent developments, see the Delivery Vehicle Facility Developments file):

2/7/2003: COMPLETION OF SOYUZ-2 ROCKET ANTICIPATED
Russian Channel One reported on 7 February 2003 that work undertaken by TsSKB-Progress on the latest version of the R-7/Soyuz rocket series, the Rus Soyuz-2, is nearing completion. The new Soyuz-2 will consist exclusively of Russian-manufactured parts and will boast a more powerful engine, which will increase its payload capacity by approximately 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds). The Rus also will be equipped with modern digital and telemetry systems and primarily will be used to launch satellites in addition to cargo and manned spacecraft. The first launch of the rocket, whose cost will not differ appreciably from the current Soyuz launch vehicle, is planned for early 2004.
[Channel One TV, 7 February 2003; in "Work on new Russian carrier-rocket nears completion," FBIS Document CEP20030207000410.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

10/23/2002: ENGINE BLOCK CITED AS CAUSE OF SOYUZ EXPLOSION
Pravda.ru reported on 23 October 2002 that TsSKB-Progress First Deputy General Director/General Designer Gennadiy Anshakov had announced the preliminary conclusions reached by a state commission investigating the explosion of a Soyuz-U booster rocket shortly after liftoff from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 15 October 2002. According to Anshakov, the commission members, on the basis of an examination of fragments salvaged after the explosion, identified its cause to be malfunctions in one of the lateral engine blocks. TsSKB-Progress assembled the rocket in question in 1999, although the Motorostroitel plant in Samara manufactured the engine. Given that 36 other launches involving the Soyuz-U booster have proceeded successfully since 1999, the experts concluded that the engine defect that caused this accident is of an isolated nature. As a result, the commission recommended that the launch of a piloted Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft propelled by the related Soyuz-FG booster proceed as planned. Destined for the International Space System, the Soyuz TMA-1 is scheduled to be launched from the Baykonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 30 October 2002.
["Vyyasneny prichiny vzryva rakety-nositelya na kosmodrome v Plesetske," Pravda.ru Web Site, http://science.pravda.ru/science/2002/6/20/56/1709_Plesezk.html, 23 October 2002.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

10/16/2002: TsSKB-PROGRESS TO HELP INVESTIGATE FAILED SOYUZ LAUNCH
Agentstvo voyennykh novostey reported on 16 October 2002 that a team of experts from TsSKB-Progress, led by First Deputy General Director Gennady Anshakov, will assist in the investigation of a Soyuz-U booster rocket that exploded shortly after liftoff from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. TsSKB-Progress manufactured the rocket and its payload, a Foton-M satellite. The incident, which represented only the 16th failure in over more than 400 launches, belied the normal reliable nature of the Soyuz-U. Pre-launch preparations and testing did not identify problems that foreshadowed the explosion in the 29th second of flight that killed one individual and injured eight others.
[Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, 16 October 2002; in "Design bureau experts join investigation of failed Plesetsk space launch," FBIS Document CEP20021016000416.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

9/6/2002: DESPITE PROBLEMS FOTON PROGRAM IMPORTANT TO TsSKB-PROGRESS
In articles published in March and September 2002, the Samara newspaper Delo reported on the revival of the Foton satellite program at TsSKB-Progress following several years during which financial shortcomings severely restricted its development.[1,2] TsSKB-Progress initiated the civilian Foton program in 1985, and it soon attracted the attention of foreign space agencies due to its unmatched ability to lift into orbit and return to Earth more than 700 kilograms (1,550 pounds) of scientific equipment. The Foton primarily can be used to conduct experiments on pure alloys and medications and the behavior of organisms in space. During the Soviet era, TsSKB-Progress produced the satellites on an annual basis for use in the domestic space program. The current Foton program, however, requires substantial modernization in order to ensure its continued viability.[1] As a result, TsSKB-Progress increasingly has concentrated on commercial cooperation with foreign entities in response to reduced state financing of the program. Its current contracts with the European Space Agency, the French Space Agency, the German Space Agency, and individual European countries for cooperation on activities such as the Foton-M satellite scheduled to lift off from the Baykonur Cosmodrome on 15 October 2002, yield approximately €10 million ($9.9 million on 6 September 2002) in financing for the enterprise. This amount, in combination with the limited funding that TsSKB-Progress does receive from the state budget through the Federal Space Program, covers the majority of the cost of assembling the satellites and installing the prerequisite equipment. It does not, however, result in a significant profit for TsSKB-Progress because the difference between the funding received from foreign partners and the total cost of the project must be covered by Rosaviakosmos. Given that this state body owes TsSKB-Progress money in connection with financing its everyday activities, it is not likely that the Foton project will be financed in full.[2]
Sources:
[1] Gleb Stolyarov, "Dvadtsat let spustya," Delo, No. 8, 8 March 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[2] Gleb Stolyarov, "'Progress' otpravil 'Foton' v Plesetsk," Delo, No. 30, 6 September 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

6/28/2002: IMPLEMENTATION OF AURORA PROJECT DELAYED
The Samara newspaper Delo reported on 28 June 2002 that complications related to intellectual property rights have postponed implementation of the Russian-Australian Aurora space program until the end of 2002 at the earliest. Aurora is a $400 million project that involves production of a new booster rocket and construction of a space center on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, in an attempt to gain a 10-20% share of the international space launch market. The terms of a contract signed in December 2001 called for the project to begin in February 2002 and for the first launch from the new facility to occur by the end of 2003. However, an inability during the most recent round of negotiations in June 2002 to resolve outstanding issues concerning ownership of the rights to the new technologies developed in the course of the project pushed back implementation at a minimum until a new round of discussions scheduled for the end of 2002. As a result, the proposed date for the first launch has been shifted to 2004-2005. Although RKK Energiya will serve as the main Russian contractor, TsSKB-Progress will be responsible for designing and producing the first and second stages of the rocket and its nose cone. Current plans call for the production center to modify the Yamal booster rocket that it initially developed on the basis of its standard Soyuz rocket.
[Gleb Stolyarov, "Prikazali dolgo zhdat," Delo, No. 24, 28 June 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

6/21/2002: TSSKB-PROGRESS TO PREPARE ROCKET FOR MARS-EXPRESS SATELLITE
According to an article in the Samara newspaper Delo on 21 June 2002, TsSKB-Progress has begun to implement a contract concluded in December 2001 with the European Space Agency. The contract calls for TsSKB-Progress to assemble a Soyuz-Fregat rocket that will be used to launch a Mars-Express satellite in May or June 2003. TsSKB-Progress will participate in this project, which aims to study the surface of Mars through the Starsem joint venture, formed in 1996 together with Rosaviakosmos, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, and Arianespace. In contrast to the Bion and Foton commercial projects in which TsSKB-Progress assembles both the booster rockets and satellites involved, TsSKB-Progress will be responsible only for the booster rocket in the Mars-Express project. The enterprise nevertheless expect to garner a profit from the project that is equal to twice the amount that it typically receives from the state for orders for the Soyuz booster.
[Gleb Stolyarov, "'Progress' zapustit novyy sputnik," Delo, No. 23, 21 June 2002.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

5/7/2002: TsSKB-PROGRESS TO FINALIZE SPACE BIOLOGY CONTRACT AND BEGIN DESIGN OF RESURS-DK SATELLITE
According to an Agentstvo voyennykh novostey report on 7 May 2002, TsSKB-Progress plans to finalize by the end of 2002 space biology contracts with unidentified American partners.[1] [Other press reports identify NASA as the potential American partner.][2] Under the terms of the contracts, TsSKB-Progress will resume production and assemble four Bion spacecraft for use in biological experiments on mice in outer space as part of preparations for extended manned space missions. The discontinuation of similar experiments in the mid-1990s following a Congressional ban on the use of apes in biological testing for all intents and purposes halted the production of the Bion. TsSKB-Progress also has initiated work on the Resurs-DK satellite, which will be equipped with new research instrumentation designed by Italian specialists and primarily will be used for studying high-energy space particles. These modifications, primarily to the design, layout, and onboard technical means, stem from the size and weight of the equipment to be installed in the Resurs-DK. Plans call for the first launch of the Resurs-DK to occur in 2003, and it is intended that the spacecraft will remain in space for a three-year period.[1]
Sources:
[1] Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, 7 May 2002; in "Russia's Progress aerospace center to sign contracts with U.S.," FBIS Document CEP20020507000215.
[2] Gleb Stolyarov, "Dvadtsat let spustya," Delo, No. 8, 8 March 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.{Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

2/19/2002: PRODUCTION OF FOTON SATELLITES RESUMED
Agentstvo voyennykh novostey reported on 19 February 2002 that TsSKB-Progress had restarted production of the Foton satellite series following a three-year hiatus resulting from organizational and financial difficulties. TsSKB-Progress to date has completed the first stage of the newest satellite, Foton-13, and plans to fit the satellite with research and other equipment in the coming months in anticipation of a late summer or early autumn 2002 launch. The Foton-13 mission will conduct research on space technologies and thereby continue the tradition of the first twelve Foton satellites launched into orbit between 1985 and 1999.
[Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, 19 February 2002; in "Russian enterprise resumes production of Foton satellites," FBIS Document CEP20020219000032.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

12/18/2001: CONTRACT UNDER AURORA PROJECT SIGNED
On 18 December 2001, Russian Aerospace Agency (Rosaviakosmos) Director Yuriy Koptev announced the signing of a contract with the Australian enterprise Asia Pacific Space Center (ASPC). The contract, concluded within the framework of the joint Russian-Australian Aurora space program, foresees the construction of a space center on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. The program also envisions development by a group of Russian aerospace companies, including TsSKB-Progress, of a prototype launch vehicle called the Aurora for use in commercial launches from the new facility. Initial plans call for TsSKB-Progress to design and manufacture the first and second stages of the rocket, as well as its nose cone, on the basis of existing supplies of the NK-33 engine. Future plans, however, foresee Russia-based serial production of the Aurora. It is anticipated that implementation of the project will begin in February 2002.
[Gleb Stolyarov, "'Avroru' zapustyat s Rozhdestva," Delo, 25 December 2001, p. 14; in IA "Region-Inform," 28 December 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

11/16/2001: CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF TsSKB-PROGRESS
According to an article in Reporter on 16 November 2001, the Samara police have initiated a criminal investigation into the activities of the top management of TsSKB-Progress, including Dmitriy Ilyich Kozlov.[1] The investigation, accompanied by a comprehensive audit of the enterprise's finances, stems from allegations that the leadership of the production center abused its power, defrauding the enterprise of $850,000 in proceeds from the Starsem joint venture which TsSKB-Progress formed in 1996 together with the French companies Aerospatiale and Arianespace as well as Rosaviakosmos.[1,2] This investigation, which had not been completed as of the end of 2002, began shortly after customs officials detained Vladimir Dmitriyevich Kozlov, the First Deputy General Director/Deputy General Designer for Foreign Economic Relations at TsSKB-Progress and Dmitriy Kozlov's son, at the airport as he allegedly attempted to bring $7,100 in undeclared currency into the country.[3,4,5] During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement officials discovered a briefcase belonging to Vladimir Kozlov that contained $190,000 and unspecified documents about the activities undertaken by TsSKB-Progress that may be considered commercial or even state secrets.[3] In a ruling that the local prosecutor appealed as too lenient, a Samara district court convicted Vladimir Kozlov of currency smuggling and fined him 5,000 rubles (nearly $170) on 10 October 2001.[6] These events occurred during the buildup to local parliamentary elections in Samara Oblast in which Dmitriy Kozlov, who is considered a strong supporter of the Communist Party and close to Samara Mayor Georgiy Limanskiy, reportedly initially supported one candidate and then changed his endorsement shortly before the district court handed down its verdict in the case of Vladimir Kozlov.[6,7] As a result, some media commentators have attributed the legal difficulties encountered by TsSKB-Progress to broader political and personal motivations.[7,8]
Sources:
[1] Natasha Barbye, "Kosmicheskiy skandal," Reporter, 16 November 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[2] Aleksandr Shvarev, "S kosmicheskim razmakhom," Vremya novostey, No. 8, 18 January 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[3] Aleksandra Chernikova, "Tayna chernogo diplomata," Reporter, 2 November 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[4] "Samarskaya oblast. Prodolzhayetsya rassledovaniye ugolovnogo dela po 'TsSKB-Progress'," Regions.ru, 28 March 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[5] Sergey Kurt-Adzhiyev, "Boreshsya s korruptsiyey- boysya pera," NovayaGazeta.Ru, 8 April 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[6] "Prokuror Krasnoglinskogo rayona ne soglasen s resheniyem oblastnogo suda po delu zamestitelya generalnogo direktora," Samara segodnya, 25 October 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[7] NTV Program "Kriminal," 9 February 2002; in Agentstvo federalnykh rassledovaniy; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[8] Vladimir Volokhov, "Milliard v prokurorskoy korzine," Parlamentskaya gazeta, No. 927(296), 12 March 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.{Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

10/26/2001: TsSKB-PROGRESS PLANS TO UPGRADE SOYUZ ROCKET
According to a report by Strana.ru on 26 October 2001, TsSKB-Progress intends to modernize the Soyuz booster rocket that it has produced since 1968. Although the Soyuz continues to be in commercial demand, TsSKB-Progress will fit the rocket with improved first and second stage engines as well as a digital control system. These changes are planned for completion by 2003, if the project receives the necessary funding from the state.
[Strana.Ru; in Sergey Kuper, "Moralno ne ustarevayushchiy 'Soyuz'," Samara Information Web Site, www.samara.ru, 26 October 2001.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

10/24/2001: COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF AURORA PROJECT IN DOUBT
Vedomosti reported on 24 October 2001 that the Prime Ministers of France and Russia, Lionel Jospin and Mikhail Kasyanov, discussed Russian access to the Kourou Space Center in French Guyana during a recent meeting. If the European Space Agency approves its request, Russia intends to use Kourou for commercial satellite launches powered by the Soyuz booster rockets produced by TsSKB-Progress. It would, however, first need to build a launch site for Soyuz rockets on Kourou at an estimated cost of $150 million. Launches from the French Guyana space center, which is located much closer to the equator than the Baykonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan from which Soyuz rockets currently are launched, would save fuel and therefore decrease the cost of launches into geostationary orbit. The decision to pursue these plans would call into question the feasibility of the joint Russian-Australian Aurora project which foresees -- also at a cost of approximately $150 million -- construction of a new space center on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, in order to provide commercial launch services. In particular, it is questionable that the demand for commercial satellite launches would be sufficient to merit the existence of two similar projects. Current plans for the Aurora project, in which TsSKB-Progress also participates, anticipate that it would undertake between four and 15 launches per year beginning in 2003.
[Yuriy Granovskiy, "'Soyuz' razdelyat mezhdu ostrovom Rozhdestva i Kuru," Vedomosti, 24 October 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

10/4/2001: PERMINOV ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR IMPROVED SATELLITE PRESENCE
According to a report in Aerospace Daily on 4 October 2001, Commander of the Space Troops Anatoliy Perminov indicated that the Ministry of Defense intends to deploy an unspecified number of new satellites to monitor potential U.S. military operations in Afghanistan following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. As the only provider of photo-reconnaissance satellites for the Russian military, TsSKB-Progress, which Perminov visited prior to his announcement, will be expected to produce new Kobalt-class satellites to replace older satellites such as the Kosmos-2377 Kobalt photo-reconnaissance satellite deorbited at the end of September. Media reports indicate that the new satellites would be launched by November 2001 at the earliest and would represent the beginning of broader efforts to expand and improve Russian reconnaissance capabilities.
[Dmitriy Pieson, "Russia to Launch Reconnaissance Satellites To Monitor Afghanistan," Aerospace Daily, 4 October 2001.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

7/23/2001: MODERNIZATION OF SOYUZ BOOSTER ROCKET PLANNED
Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, citing TsSKB-Progress General Director Dmitriy Kozlov, reported on 23 July 2001 that the production center has initiated work on a modified version of its Soyuz booster rocket, which is widely used by the Russian space program and by international consortia for launching commercial payloads. The new Soyuz-2 universal rocket booster gradually will replace the standard Soyuz and expand both orbiting and payload possibilities.
[Agentstvo voyennykh novostey, 23 July 2001; in "Russia designing new booster on basis of Soyuz rocket," FBIS Document CEP20010723000289.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

7/11/2001: MODIFIED PLANE TO BE USED FOR SPACE LAUNCHES
Rossiyskaya gazeta reported on 11 July 2001 that a group of Samara-based aerospace enterprises, including TsSKB-Progress, are engaged in a project that envisions launching rockets from a modified An-124-100 airplane. Under the Vozdushnyy Start program, the An-124-100 will launch two-stage booster rockets from an altitude of 10-11 kilometers (6.2-6.8 miles). According to press reports, this air launch system is considered considerably less expensive than traditional ground launches and reportedly has drawn interest from South Africa, the Czech Republic, and countries in Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf. Plans call for commercial launches to begin in 2002.
[Vyacheslav Belov, "Space Center On Board Aircraft," Rossiyskaya gazeta, 11 July 2001, p. 6; in "Russia To Use Ruslan An-124-100 To Launch Space Rockets," FBIS Document CEP20010711000191.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

7/4/2001: FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC VISITS TsSKB-PROGRESS
Nezavisimaya gazeta reported on 4 July 2001 that French President Jacques Chirac visited TsSKB-Progress during his state visit to Russia. TsSKB-Progress and two French partners, Aerospatiale and Arianespace, formed the Starsem joint stock company in 1996 with the support of the French and Russian governments. Starsem specializes in the commercial use of the Soyuz rocket launcher systems developed by TsSKB-Progress and plans call for its rockets to be involved in the development and maintenance of the Alfa International Space Station. During the visit, future French-Russian space cooperation was also discussed.
[Kseniya Fokina and Andrey Bondarenko, "Shirak skazal 'da', ne skazav 'net'," Nezavisimaya gazeta online edition, http://www.ng.ru/printed/events/2001-07-04/1_shirak.html, No. 119 (2429), 4 July 2001.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

5/31/2001: FIRST LAUNCH OF SOYUZ-FG ROCKET SUCCESSFUL
In its May 2001 issue, Novosti kosmonavtiki reported on the first test launch involving the modified Soyuz-FG rocket booster developed by TsSKB-Progress. The Soyuz-FG, which successfully launched a Progress M1-6 spacecraft into orbit from the Baykonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 21 May 2001, represents an attempt to increase by 250-300 kilograms (550 to 650 pounds) the payload that its predecessor, the Soyuz-U, can lift into low Earth orbits. Improvements to the Soyuz-FG focus upon modifications to the engine, fuel, and propulsion systems. The Soyuz-FG, which primarily will be used to launch Progress-M1 spacecraft and perhaps piloted spaceships such as the Soyuz-TMA, is a stage in efforts to develop the Soyuz-2 rocket.
[I. Afanasyev, "'Progress M1-6' v polete," Novosti kosmonavtiki, No. 7, 1-31 May 2001.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

4/21/2001: TsSKB-PROGRESS TO PARTICIPATE IN AURORA PROJECT
Kaliningradskaya pravda reported on 21 April 2001 that several Russian aerospace companies, including TsSKB-Progress, have begun work with the approval of the Russian government on a project that foresees construction of a new Aurora launch vehicle and a space center on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. It is planned that the facilities and the launch vehicle, to be built at the request of an Australian company, the Asia Pacific Space Center (APSC), will be used for commercial launches of spacecraft. RKK Energiya, NPO Energomash, and the Barmin Design Bureau for General Machine Building (KBOM) also will be involved in the project. Representatives of these companies, APSC, and other companies engaged in the project approved design sketches of the Aurora system and the APSC Space Center during a meeting in Korolev on 18 April 2001.
["Kosmicheskiye novosti," Kaliningradskaya pravda, 21 April 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

5/18/2000: PLANE-BASED SPACE LAUNCH PROGRAM INITIATED
RIA Novosti reported on 18 May 2000 that several Russian companies intend to pursue a new space program that would entail the launch of satellites from modified airplanes such as the An-124-100. The Vozdushnyy Start corporation, which will implement the program, consists of TsSKB-Progress, RKK Energiya, Antonov ANTK, Pilyugin NPTs AP, and the Polet aviation company.[1,2] Development of an airplane-based launch capability would allow the corporation to engage in space launches independent of a stationary space center. In addition, it is believed that plane-based launches into exoatmospheric orbits would be cheaper than traditional land-based launches and would translate into an increased demand for the technology.[1] It is anticipated that a draft concept of the project, which reportedly could create up to 100,000 new jobs, should be completed by the end of 2000.[1,2] One of the ideas under discussion is a proposal by Polet to automate completely the launch sequence.[2]
Sources:
[1] Eduard Puzyrev, "Rossiya pristupayet k realizatsii unikalnogo kosmicheskogo proyekta-zapuskam sputnikov s borta samoleta," RIA Novosti, 18 May 2000; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.
[2] Eduard Puzyrev, "Aviakompaniya 'Polet' predlagayet zapuski sputnikov po proyektu 'Vozdushnyy Start' polnostyu avtomatizirovat," RIA Novosti, 31 July 2000;  in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/20/2003 EMC}

Page last updated 18 March 2004
For recent developments, see the Delivery Vehicle Facility Developments file.

Comments or questions? Contact Cristina Chuen (Cristina.ChuenATmiis.edu) or Nikolai Sokov (nsokovATmiis.edu) at MIIS CNS.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.

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