Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center

Russian aerospace manufacturer

The Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (Государственный космический научно производственный центр (ГКНПЦ) имени М. В. Хру́ничева in Russian) is a Moscow based manufacturer of spacecraft and space launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets, and the Russian modules of Mir and the International Space Station. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established at Fili, western suburb of Moscow. It soon switched production to airplanes and during World War II produced Ilyushin Il 4 and Tupolev Tu 2 bombers. A design bureau, OKB 23, was added to the company in 1951. In 1959, the company started developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, and later spacecraft and space launch vehicles. The company designed and produced all Soviet space stations, including Mir. OKB 23, renamed to Salyut Design Bureau, became an independent company in 1988. In 1993, the Khrunichev Plant and the Salyut Design Bureau were joined again to form Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. In the 1990s, the company entered the International Launch Services joint venture to market launches on its Proton rocket. Khrunichev subsequently became a successful launch service provider on the international space launch market. The company had around 2010 an over 30% market share of the global space launch market, and its revenue from commercial space launches in 2009 was $584 million. It is named after Mikhail Khrunichev, a Soviet minister. Current number of employees is about 43,500.

Khrunichev's history dates back to April 1916, when an automobile factory called Second "Russo Balt" automobile plant was established at Fili, western suburb of Moscow. The first cars of the Russo Balt brand were produced there in 1922. The next year, the factory switched to producing Ju 20 and Ju 21 aircraft for the German company Junkers. It was renamed State Aircraft Plant No. 7. The development of a Russian aircraft industry started soon after. In 1926, this became Zavod 22, where the aircraft of Andrey Tupolev were developed. During World War II, the plant produced Russian designed Ilyushin Il 4 and Tu 2 long range bombers. This factory later became the Khrunichev Machine Building Plant.

In 1951 the Experimental Design Bureau No. 23 (OKB 23) headed by V. Myasishchev was created and added to Khrunichev. In the 1950s, it designed the Myasishchev M 4, Myasishchev M 50 and Myasishchev M 52 planes, among others. The Khrunichev plant was responsible for manufacturing OKB 23 designs. In 1966 OKB 52 was renamed the Central Design Bureau of Machine Building (TsKBM), and OKB 23 became known as the Fili Branch of TsKBM. It was split off from TsKBM in the late 1970s, and renamed the Salyut Design Bureau, or KB Salyut for short. In 1981–1988, KB Salyut was part of the large NPO Energiya company, and become an independent design bureau in 1988. The partnership with Khrunichev Machine Building plant continued through all this time.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in great difficulties for the Russian space industry. Over the years 1989–1999, the country's space budget dropped by 88% and established production cooperation chains disintegrated. Both Khrunichev and the Salyut Design Bureau, which were now separate companies, attempted to remedy the situation by seeking earning possibilities abroad. Salyut managed to win a contract for producing the 12KRB booster for the Indian GSLV rocket and entered an agreement with Daimler Benz Aerospace to develop a recoverable capsule used for experiments in the German Japanese Express project. At this time, the Proton launch vehicle proved as the most profitable product for both companies. The Khrunichev plant signed a $156 million contract to launch 21 Iridium satellites on three Proton K rockets in 1997–1998. Salyut managed to sign only one contract for launching the Inmarsat 3 F satellite with Proton K at the low price of $36 million. Both companies attempted to enter partnerships with foreign companies to market Proton launches. In 1998, Khrunichev was made subordinate to the Russian Space Agency, then called Rosaviakosmos. Khrunichev resisted the move for a long time, and managed to prevent the agency from installing its own leadership in the company.

Khrunichev's main product is the Proton rocket, which has been launched more than 350 times since its creation in 1968. Latest version of the venerable rocket, which has been subject to several incremental upgrades, is Proton M Enhanced; it has a lifting capability of 6,150 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. For use as Proton's upper stage, Khrunichev produces Briz M, which first flew in 2000. Rockot, a converted ballistic missile, is offered for launching smaller payloads. For international marketing of Rockot launches, Khrunichev has created the joint venture Eurockot GmbH. Another version of the Briz M upper stage, Briz KM, is used as Rockot's third stage. In 2009, the company manufactured a total of 25 launch vehicles, upper stage boosters and spacecraft, while in 2005 the figure was 11. In 2010, Khrunichev aims to raise the figure to 30. A record 15 rockets were launched by the company in 2009. In 2008, the company was responsible for lofting every third kilogram of the world's combined satellite payload.

Khrunichev's revenue from commercial launches (not including launches for the Ministry of Defense) in 2009 was $584 million—growing considerably from the $198 million figure in 2004. Since 1994, Proton has earned $4.3 billion for the Russian space industry as a whole, and in 2011 this figure is expected to raise to $6 billion. In 2006–2009, investments in modernization and retooling amounted to RUB 2.6 billion.

Since 1995, Khrunichev has been developing the Angara rocket family. The main purpose of Angara is to ensure Russia's independent access to space, as the rockets can be launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia as well as the upcoming Vostochny Cosmodrome, instead of having to rely on Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is located on the territory of Kazakhstan. Angara also does not use the toxic fuel that is used by Proton. The Angara programme has been hit by several delays. State funding started to reach appropriate levels only in 2005. In 2009, it was estimated that Angara had 95–97% completion rate over all major program indicators. The main stumbling block is the construction of the new launch pad in Plesetsk. Due to unrealistic deflator indices set by the Ministry of Defense, Khrunichev has not received enough money to order all necessary equipment for finishing the pad, pushing Angara's expected first flight to 2013. When completed, the Angara rockets are intended to replace several existing launchers, including Proton.