Vladimir Popovkine ne va pas démissionner

Vladimir Popovkin prepare for retirement

Denis Thalmann, Izvestiya

September 3, 2012


Recent failures in space led to the loss of the head of Roscosmos trust.

Vladimir Popovkin, head of the Russian Space Agency to the end of September can retire. According to "News" a senior source in government, the decision to leave the main space officials of the country will be taken after a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, to be held on September 10.

- At the end of last week at a meeting of the Security Council Vladimir Putin Popovkin subjected to sharp criticism for a series of failures to launch satellites. September 10, Medvedev is to determine the candidate - explained the "Izvestia".

He added that at the meeting of the Security Council was not discussed who might take the post of head of Roscosmos.

At the same time, another source in the government said that at the meeting of September 10 personnel decision is not yet ready.

- We will talk about quality requirements. Popovkin resignation will issue later - said the official.

The reason for the tough personnel decisions was a series of failed launches of space objects. Failure persecuted Russian space throughout your stay Vladimir Popovkin, led the industry. Over the past year, Russia has lost two satellite broadcasting - "Express-AM4" and "Express-MD2" cargo ship "Progress" interplanetary station "Phobos-Grunt", a military satellite "Meridian". The causes of accidents have been very different - from incorrect operation booster failure to onboard computers. But each time it was emphasized that the root of frequent accidents degradation is the space industry, being in profound systemic crisis.

Agree with this statement, and even Vladimir Popovkin, claiming that the crisis requires new industry. Now we are discussing the option to create on the basis of the type of Roscosmos corporation Rosatom.

Recall that after a disastrous start ("Proton-M" satellites "Express-MD2" and Telkom-3) Roscosmos head spacing gave Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. His dissatisfaction with the situation in the space industry did not hide in a closed meeting, held in August, and the Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

"The meeting was held in a very tense situation. Rogozin And if he tried to control himself, the deputy chairman of the commission on military-industrial complex Yuri Borisov literally broke to cry," - said one of the participants in the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister. Then the head of the Russian Space Agency, reported that for the incident punished three of his deputies. But who and how - did not elaborate. Rogozin called poor excuses made at the meeting of the leaders of Russian Federal Space Agency, and said that he would personally see to it will be implemented as computer-aided quality control in enterprises sector.