At the start point

In the hall at the entrance to the State Ukrainian Space Agency there is a large stand displaying various international awards for the space exploration achievements and just souvenirs. The picturesque Cossack hugging the space rocket is especially striking. For some reason I thought that he should resemble the Director Ge-neral of the agency the Hero of Ukraine Yurii Aleksieiev. I was wrong. His quiet voice and the whole appearance indicated that Aleksieiev is a scientist. In fact, he is the member of the International Space Academy though he spent the significant part of his working life at the production association “Pivdenny Mashynobudivny Zavod” [The South Engineering Plant. – Ed.] and is believed to have worked his way up from the assistant foreman to the director general. However, his merits do not measure in his career but his contribution into the history of the domestic rocket engineering. Aleksieiev has taken part in the development and lot production of the strategic rocket systems

R-36M, R-36M UTTKH, R-36M2 (SS-18 Satan), MR-UR-100-UTTKH, RT-23 UTTKH (SS-24 Scalpel), created the missile carriers Cyclone and Zenit and other spacecrafts of various military and commercial purposes. He is one of the initiators and organizers of the international programs Sea Launch, Dnipro and Land Launch. Formerly, someone who had so much information could be rightfully called the “secret person.” However, today, in particular in this interview, Aleksieiev was the sincerity personified.

You have recently attended the international air shows Le Bourget and MAKS-2011. Could you see any interest towards the Ukrai-nian achievements there and what was the commercial result our country had at least in signing contracts?

“The commercial result is rare at the similar shows. Of course, we aroused the significant interest. The works of the construction department Pivdenne, the factories Arsenal and Pivdenmash were especially successful. We exhibited the satellite that is currently in orbit and met the representatives of the Canadian firms and discussed the cooperation prospects in the area of the remote Earth sensing. The visitors of the show could get the evidence that Ukraine is an independent space country. We were asked a lot of questions concerning the laser gyroscopes that we create at Arsenal for our future rocket Cyclone-4. I think, our firms decently presented Ukraine at the air shows and drew interest of specialists from many countries.”

What do you think of the recent launch of the international satellites, in particular, our domestic satellite Sich by a Ukrai-nian-Russian rocket-carrier? Is it the victory of the Ukrainian scientists and engineers symbolizing the second wind of Ukraine in the space exploration or just a routine commercial launch?

“I would not speak about the second wind. The Ukrainian breath in the space sector is always regular and successful. It was our usual work according to the fourth space program of Ukraine that provided launching the satellite Sich-2. (However, we experienced some problems when launching it because of Russia.) This is our normal routine work based on the decision of the National Ukrainian Space Agency and the National Academy of Sciences. As a result, we launched the remote Earth sensing apparatus. It has the separating power of 7.8 meters. It will allow exactly mapping the territory of Ukraine and clearing up the question making interest for the Ministry of Emergencies, Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.”

Do you have the further pro-jects of launches from the Russian launching sites?

“In September we are going to work on a sea launch with the use of our rocket-carrier Zenit that will launch the satellite. I think that there will be two launches in October. One of them within the framework of the land launch and the other, very important one: our engine will launch the research space craft towards the Mars in order to perform the ground intake on the surface of its moon the Phobos. Our experts actively participate in this work. In general, by the end of the year there will be 3 to 4 launches with the use of the Ukrainian rockets.”

How important is the aeronautic complex that is being created in cooperation with Brazil at Alcantara space launching site for Ukraine?

“Ukraine is situated in the po-pulous center of Europe. That is why I do not think we will ever have a land launching site here. At least, because the rocket first stages usually fall 500 to 600 kilometers away form the start point. In Ukraine there is no space for this since such launches are dangerous for people from the ecological and physical points.

“Imagine that the first stage or an aerodynamic panel falls on your head… That is why we have been carrying out a serious work with Brazil, the work started by Stanislav Koniukhov of blessed memory. As a result, Ukraine and Brazil will provide launch services on parity basis for the whole world. The modern launching site (priced at 500 million dollars) will be constructed at the ocean shore and we will exploit it with the Brazilians. Today it is being actively built and we are finishing the rocket and I think the first launch will be performed in 2013. As a result, Ukraine will get the independent access to the site and to the launch services. Actually, it means that we will explore the space together with the Brazilians.”

Has Ukraine quitted the Sea Launch yet?

“Really, now it has the only founder which is the S. Koroliov Rocket-Space Corporation Energy. However, Ukraine remains the full-fledged participant of the Sea Launch since the rocket is being constructed in Dnipropetrovsk at the assistance of the construction department Pivdenne and it is believed that our construction department is responsible for all the working loads. If this projects is able to pay dividends we will not have a right to receive them which is the only negative thing. But we are taking part in the work. The launch is planned for September 22. Now the rocket is being transferred onto the platform and, probably, it will be at the start point in a week.”

Does our country have a project of launching a Ukrainian spacecraft with a Ukrainian aeronaut to the orbit?

“In principle, the rocket Zenit (11K77) was created to replace the rocket-carrier Soyuz. However, when the USSR collapsed the works on its safety development were stopped. The thing is that launching an aeronaut requires serious groundwork directed to the safety. According to the Soviet standards, 30 to 40 accident-free launches were needed before launching an aeronaut. Ukraine does not have such possibilities now. The thing is that the ideology and technology are changing a lot and more and more tests are held on the land... That is why we have to negotiate with the Russian Space Agency about launching a Ukrainian aeronaut and to define how much we have to pay. They ask for the huge sums of mo-ney, about 150 million dollars (for the preparation, launch and half-yearly stay in the orbit). The prime minister has already charged us with this. We have worked on it but have not found the money. However, the prospect is not cancelled and we are working on this issue.”

Is your agency providing the international space services able to earn enough money to make the aeronautics self-supporting or even become an off-budget investor for this sector?

“There is never enough money, especially in the aeronautics. However, we do not feel we are debtors now. These are the results of the analysis of our work over the last ten years. We spent about a billion hryvnias of the budgetary funds. During this period of time our enterprises paid about 3.2 billion hryvnias to the state and local budgets. So, today we are self-supporting: we earn money and pay taxes. The other thing is that when Viktor Yanukovych was the prime minister we received all the money provided by the space research program. Now, after the crisis the situation in the country is difficult and our sector is underfunded which affects our work. We have recently met the current Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and he promised that next year the funding will be resumed. Then, I hope, our sector will get its second wind, as you have said. We have a lot of promising ideas… Besides, the whole world now cooperates in order to realize serious projects since none of the countries is able to individually resolve the question of the space researches. We have to join to the international cooperation. However, it provides for certain fees one has to pay to receive a part of the work and a part of the profit. We cannot boast of our financial contribution but our scientific contribution is always very significant. Thus, in cooperation with Russia we have launched the large interplanetary station Spectrum-R and finalized our information reception and processing center in Yevpatoria. Russia has also invested a lot of money and due to this our scientists will get all the necessary information from the interplanetary station. By the way, it has the equipment produced in Lviv and Kharkiv, so Russia will receive the corresponding information, too. So, we aspire to work in the international projects since it is extremely difficult to realize the global international projects on our own. The global problems such as climate change, global warming, snow melting and tracking of various emergencies are impossible to be resolved without the space research. With this purpose we are joining such European programs as

EGNOS, working on the project GLONASS with Russia and have signed the contract for Galileo system exploitation with Europe.”

Which direction have you chosen: the Russian or the European one?

“Of course, today we mostly cooperate with Russia (80-85 percent). However, we cooperate a lot with Europe, too. We are constructing the fourth stage for the European rocket Vega and working with the Americans on the new rocket Tauras-2.”

Does the agency work on the modernization or, probably, replacement of the rocket systems adopted by the Ukrainian army? The rockets we inherited from the Soviet Union are, probably, out-dated or even dangerous for the people.

“Their danger is, probably, exaggerated...”

But there were the accidents when the rockets did not follow the needed direction…

“I can tell you that there is a program of the theater-of-war system creation. It is performed by the Ministry of Defense. The prime minister has already held a couple of meetings about it. I think that next year we will start constructing this new rocket system for the Ukrainian army.”

And when will it be adopted by the army?

“After we finalize it and get the money, we will need three to four years to construct, test and adopt the first battery.”

Being a highly science intensive sector, in other countries the aeronautics is the source of the innovations and modern technologies for other areas. Can we say the same about Ukraine? Can you give any examples of this?

“The other day Mykola Azarov has attended one of our enterprises, the Karkiv Institute of Radio Metrology. There they develop very good medical equipment based on the space technologies. Using our achievements in the field of the titanium welding and processing the specialists from Pivdenmash have joined the construction of the planes An-140 and An-18 we produce the undercarriage for. Our enterprises that develop the control systems, in particular, the plant Komunar create the equipment for the aviation and the railway; they are air-preparation units, wing blow-off and anti-icer units.”

Tsiolkovski and Koroliov were not only scientists and engineers but also great dreamers. Do you have a dream?

“I dream that Ukraine becomes a full-fledged participant of the international space cooperation and has the sufficient funding so that we could equally participate in the flight programs to the Moon and towards the Mars. The construction department Pivdenne and the factory Arsenal have very good ideas. Ukraine was one of the gems of the Soviet aeronautics and it has to take the same place in the international community.”

Previously the profession of an astronaut or a rocket engineer was very prestigious. Do you think this situation can repeat in Ukraine? Which conditions need to be created?

“I worked in Pivdenmash for all my life. We did not have high salaries there, yet he had a strong social security system. There were 40 kindergartens. We had our own holiday hotels. People were eager to work there. Today everything hinges on the salary. I am sure that if the funding and the gene-ral wellbeing in Ukraine improve people will come to us. Even now the construction department Pivdenne accepts up to 60 young specialists every year. However, half of them leave during the first year of work… It is good that there are the specialists able to pass their experience. But it will be bad when the time comes and they pass away. It is the worst thing. However, we contact our main universities such as the Kyiv Polytechnic University, the Dnipropetrovsk State University and the Kharkiv Aircraft Institute. According to their information, today the engineering specialties are in demand… So today, the specialists in the space engineering are in much demand. It is bad that the people do not stay since we do not have the conditions.”

You mostly speak about the material incentives. Previously, the aeronautics and rocket engineering were covered with the romantic halo...

“Not that much with the romantic halo but with the halo of military secret. However, even today there are enough romantics. In Dnipropetrovsk there is a center of the aeronautic education for the youth. It is attended by the young people who have been dreaming about the space since they were in the kindergarten. I think today we still have some young enthusiastic talented people. However, the brain drain to Europe and Russia is growing: the young people receive good knowledge and skills in our universities and then go away. The reason is not only the salary. If someone has an idea and cannot realize it they face the choice. And if they know that somewhere else they will have the modern equipment or even a laboratory at their disposal, they make the choice not in our favor. We should pay more attention to the technologies deve-lopment and the young people will stay in the country. We have all the prospects for this. Look, we created two new planes An-140 and An-148 within two years. These are the planes of the world level. However, the state lacks money to start their lot production. However, I am sure that if we resolve the social questions and support the retirees, we will be able to pay more attention to the high technologies and science, gain profit and stimulate the high-class young specialists.”