On 27 June 2013, General Director of TsSKB-Progress, Alexander Kirilin, held a press conference in which he summed up the results of TsSKB-Progress’ activity for the last six months.

In the first part of this year TsSKB-Progress supported 10 launch campaigns – seven from Baikonur, two from Plesetsk and one from the Guiana Space Centre. 20-22 launches in all are scheduled for 2013. For comparison: 14 launch vehicles produced by TsSKB-Progress were launched last year. ‘We are going to set many records this year,’ said Alexander Kirilin, ‘For example, we supported two launches on the night of 25/26 June with time interval of a little over an hour – the launch of the Resurs-P spacecraft from Baikonur Cosmodrome and the launch of communication satellites from Kourou launch site. There is no company in the world today that could make such pace of work.’

The Bion-M1 biomedical spacecraft was launched in April. It operated in orbit for 30 days and successfully completed its mission on 19 May. ‘A new scientific program is being prepared now for the next Bion-M,’ said Alexander Kirilin, ‘and we expect to obtain an order for 2016.’ He added that Foton-M, another scientific spacecraft produced at TsSKB-Progress, is to be launched in April, 2014.

Alexander Kirilin emphasized construction of Earth remote sensing satellites. TsSKB-Progress is a prime manufacturer in this field. The Resurs-DK spacecraft developed and manufactured by TsSKB-Progress was launched in 2006. ‘Today it normally operates in orbit exceeding the designed active lifetime more than two times. Over the seven years it imaged more than 77 million square kilometers of the Earth compared to the Russia’s area of 17 million square kilometers. Today TsSKB-Progress is to form a constellation of high-resolution ERS satellites,’ said Alexander Kirilin.

The Resurs-P1 spacecraft developed by TsSKB-Progress was launched on 25 June 2013. The spacecraft is situated in an injection orbit. It will be put into an operational orbit on 29 June and then prepared for imaging Earth surface. Alexander Kirilin described specifics of the spacecraft in detail. In addition to the imaging hardware with resolution of 1 m, Resurs-P is equipped with extra hardware. The spacecraft provides wide-swath imaging over the range of up to 400 km and images up to 1 million square kilometers per day. ‘This is a new generation spacecraft among world analogues in this niche. And, of course, Russian cosmonautics and customers have great hopes of it.’

Speaking about the constellation of ERS spacecraft, Alexander Kirilin noted that TsSKB-Progress is developing Resurs-P2 and Resurs-P3 to be launched in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Thereby the enterprise will support formation of a three-satellite constellation.

‘The launch of Resurs-P is notable as it has been performed by a Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle. That’s the twelfth test launch of this launch vehicle within the flight and design testing. We are currently preparing documentation to put Soyuz-2.1b into series manufacture and operation. As for Soyuz-2.1a, we are waiting for issue of a government regulation to put it into series manufacture. It is a significant event as these versions have been designed in present-day Russian period. None of space engineering manufacturers is famous for designing two such vehicles,’ emphasized Alexander Kirilin.

As for the next version of Soyuz-2, Alexander Kirilin told about the progress of constructing a light Soyuz-2.1v launch vehicle. Its first stage was test fired this half year. The first Soyuz-2.1v is to be launched in September from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The Volga injection module will be used for this launch campaign. Alexander Kirilin noted that construction and testing of Volga were funded by TsSKB-Progress.

In the future Soyuz-2.1a, Soyuz-2.1b and Soyuz-2.1v will be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. The first launch is scheduled for 2015. Today the Cosmodrome is in active construction. Equipment for the stand and launch pad has already been ordered. Launch vehicles are being constructed. Alexander Kirilin specified that the vehicle meant for the first launch campaign at Vostochny has almost been produced and is in responsible storage. ‘It will be the forth Cosmodrome used for launching vehicles produced in Samara. I can say in all modesty that there is no manufacturer in the world working at four cosmodromes,’ emphasized Alexander Kirilin.

As regards further plans for development of launch vehicles Alexander Kirilin told that TsSKB-Progress had represented a new Soyuz-5 two-stage launch vehicle at the 50th International Paris Air Show Le Bourget. ‘This launcher will use pollution-free fuel,’ said Kirilin, ‘Our existent launch vehicles also use pollution-free fuel – kerosene and oxygen. Soyuz-5 will burn liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen that are more ecological.’

Alexander Kirilin told about the plans of the enterprise to construct heavy and super heavy launch vehicles. At the present time TsSKB-Progress is conducting research on development of 75-ton and 130-ton launchers. Kirilin emphasized that TsSKB-Progress had previous experience in building such vehicles: the enterprise headed manufacture of the ENERGIYA launch vehicle. In addition, if it is decided upon construction of a super heavy launcher, a great number of companies, included primarily in Samara Aerospace Cluster, will be engaged in this project.

At the 50th International Paris Air Show Le Bourget TsSKB-Progress displayed a model of the RYSACHOK light twin-engine airplane. At present, RYSACHOK is being certified. The airplane will be also demonstrated at the International Aerospace Show MAKS held in Zhukovsky: one vehicle will be showed at a stationary exhibition area; another vehicle will take part in the flight program. Originally RYSACHOK was designed and built for 10 passengers. Nowadays it is being redesigned to increase its capacity up to 16 passengers. ‘We hope RYSACHOK will be popular not only in Russia but also throughout the world,’ Kirilin said.

Particular interest among journalists was generated in process of turning TsSKB-Progress into a joint-stock company. ‘Today we work in accordance with decree of the President 457 of 17 April, 2012. Registration of property has already completed. The process of turning TsSKB-Progress into a joint-stock company is to be finished in November, 2013. The company will be fully owned, that is 100% shares will be owned by the government. TsSKB-Progress is a strategic enterprise and, as a matter of course, we have no other alternative. NPO Avtomatiki (Scientific Production Association of Control Engineering in Yekaterinburg) and NII Komandnykh Priborov (Research Institute of Command Equipment in St. Petersburg) are being turned into joint-stock companies as well. NPO Avtomatiki develops and manufactures control systems for our launchers. It will be a dependent joint-stock company. NII Komandnykh Priborov produces gyroscopic systems for us. 100% shares of these companies will be controlled by TsSKB-Progress. This integrated structure will be organized by the end of this year.’

General Director of TsSKB-Progress also answered other questions of media representatives.