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Ministry of General Machine-Building

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Ministry of General Machine-Building
Министерство общего машиностроения СССР

Buran at the 1989 Paris Air Show
Agency overview
Formed
  • 2 April 1955; 69 years ago (1955-04-02) (initially)
  • 2 March 1965; 59 years ago (1965-03-02) (reestablished)
Preceding agency
  • State Committee on Defense Technology
Dissolved
  • 10 May 1957; 67 years ago (1957-05-10) (initially)
  • 14 November 1991; 33 years ago (1991-11-14) (permanently)
Superseding agency
JurisdictionSoviet Union
Employees1,000,000–1,500,000
Minister responsible
  • Minister of General Machine-Building
Parent agencyMilitary-Industrial Commission
Child agencies

The Ministry of General Machine-Building (Russian: Министерство общего машиностроения СССР; MOM), also known as Minobshchemash, was a government ministry of the Soviet Union from 1955 to 1957 and from 1965 to 1991. The ministry supervised the research, development, and production of ballistic missiles as well as launch vehicles and satellites in the Soviet space program.

History

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The first Soviet organization dedicated to rocket technology was the Gas Dynamics Laboratory, founded in 1921 by Nikolai Tikhomirov. The laboratory researched and developed solid-propellant rockets, which became the prototypes of missiles in the Katyusha rocket launcher, as well as liquid-propellant rockets, which became the prototypes of Soviet rockets and spacecraft.[1] An organization with a similar purpose, the Group for the Study of Reactive Motion, was founded in 1931.[2] The two groups merged in 1933 to form the Reactive Scientific Research Institute,[3] the responsibility of which was transferred to the People’s Commissariat of Aviation Industry in 1944.[2]

The first rendition of the Ministry of General Machine-Building was created by a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on 2 April 1955,[4][5] with the active participation of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.[6][7] The ministry was the first in the Soviet Union to specifically focus on rocketry. Major General of the Engineering and Artillery Service Pyotr Nikolaevich Goremykin [ru], who had held the post of Minister of Agricultural Engineering from June 1946 to March 1951, was appointed Minister of General Machine-Building.[8][9][10] Design bureaus such as OKB-1 were subordinated to the ministry.[11] The ministry was dissolved on 10 May 1957 and its functions were transferred, possibly for purposes of secrecy.[12]

The Ministry of General Machine-Building was reestablished on 2 March 1965, as a successor to the State Committee on Defense Technology.[13] Leonid Ivanovich Gusev [ru] was made Deputy Minister[14] while Vladimir Chelomey was the general designer of rocket technology.[15] The ministry was put in charge of space technology as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles, except solid-fueled missiles; these instead were developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, which from 1966 was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense Industry.[16] Transferred to the new ministry were factories from the defense, aviation, radio engineering, and shipbuilding industries, alongside leading design bureaus and research institutes such as the Research Institute of Machine-Building Technology (known as NITI-40 until 1966).[17] Many of these were headed by academicians such as Sergei Korolev, Mikhail Yangel, Valentin Glushko, Nikolay Pilyugin, Vladimir Barmin, Mikhail Ryazansky [ru], Viktor Makeev, and Viktor Litvinov.[13] The ministry reported to the Military-Industrial Commission, which coordinated its activity with eight other military-industrial ministries.[18] The R-12 Dvina missile was produced simultaneously at four enterprises within the ministry.[19] In 1977, the ministry received its own trade union.[20]

In April 1970, Minister of General Machine-Building Sergey Afanasyev sent a memo to the chairperson of the Military-Industrial Commission, recommending negotiations with NASA. These negotiations were approved the next month and eventually led to the 1975 Apollo–Soyuz mission.[21] Work on the GLONASS system began at the ministry in 1976.[22][23] The ministry contributed to the construction of the RT-2PM Topol missile system, which began deployment in 1985.[24][25] The combat railway missile complex [ru] began deployment in October 1987; its development had started in January 1969 with an order from Afanasyev.[26]

An RT-2PM Topol on a mobile launcher at a Victory Day parade rehearsal in Moscow, 2008
The combat railway missile complex [ru] on display in Saint Petersburg, 2007

On 26 February 1985, the Ministry of General Machine-Building issued an order that formed Glavkosmos.[27][28] The subsidiary was originally envisioned as an executive agency to command all Soviet space activities, but in practice it functioned more as a marketing and coordinating body.[29] Glavkosmos became the prime authority for implementing cooperative agreements with foreign bodies, with activities including commercial utilization of Soviet systems and approving foreign cosmonauts to fly aboard Soviet spacecraft.[30]

During the perestroika reform movement of the late 1980s, Glavkosmos began offering commercial services for global customers, aiming primarily at competing with United States launchers. Its first commercial offering was presented at the Space Commerce '88 trade show in Montreux, Switzerland. Most notably, it featured the sales of the following launchers: Energia, with a payload of up to 100 tons to Low Earth orbit; Proton with a payload of up to 20 tons to Low Earth orbit or 2 tons to geostationary orbit for between US$25 million and US$30 million; Tsyklon-3 for payloads of up to 4 tons to Low Earth orbit; a family of Soyuz rockets in configurations for Low Earth, geostationary transfer, and Molniya orbits; and the Vostok launchers for between US$12 million and US$18 million. Glavkosmos also featured Kosmos rockets with the successfully completed launches of Indian Aryabhata and Bhaskara satellites. Other offerings included the sales of Okean-O1 satellites or the use of space on the Foton satellites and Mir space station. During the conference several contracts were signed, including down payments for three satellite launches for undisclosed customers, an option for a launch of the Aussat-2 on Proton, a contract with Payload Systems Inc. for experiments in protein crystallization on Mir and Kayser-Threde for microgravity experiments on the Foton satellites in 1989, 1990, and 1991.[31]

The Buran program to develop reusable spacecraft was managed jointly by the Ministry of General Machine-Building and Ministry of Aviation Industry. Despite various disputes about the program between the two ministries, Buran, the first spacecraft to be produced as part of the program, successfully completed the sole flight of the program in November 1988.[32][33]

The final project of the ministry before its liquidation was a 1991 US$120 million agreement between Glavkosmos and ISRO, which included the transfer of two KVD-1 engines for use as the third stage of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle as well as design details such that the KVD-1 could be built indigenously in India.[34][35] Russia backed out of the agreement in 1993 after the United States objected to the deal and imposed sanctions on the grounds that the deal was a violation of the Missile Technology Control Regime, forcing ISRO to sign a more limited agreement with Russia and initiate a project to develop its own cryogenic engine.[36][37]

Many subsidiaries of the Ministry of General Machine-Building served as primary organizations in the management of the Soviet space program; the ministry controlled roughly 1200 factories and employed between 1 million and 1.5 million people at its peak.[38][39] However, contrary to its American, European, and Chinese competitors, which had their programs run under single coordinating agencies, the executive architecture of the Soviet space program was multi-centered; several internally competing design bureaus, technical councils, ministry staffs, and expert commissions all held more influence over the program than political leadership. The creation of a central agency after the reorganization of the Soviet Union into the Russian Federation was therefore a new development. The Ministry of General Machine-Building was dissolved on 14 November 1991.[18][40] The Russian Space Agency[a] was formed as its successor[41][42][43] on 25 February 1992 by a decree of President Boris Yeltsin.[44] Yuri Koptev, who previously had worked with designing Mars landers at NPO Lavochkin, became the first director of the agency, which eventually would become Roscosmos.[45]

In 2013, when the Russian space sector was being reorganized,[46] one option considered was the creation of a ministry similar to the Ministry of General Machine-Building.[47]

Departmental awards

[edit]

During its existence, the Ministry of General Machine-Building offered three awards. The "Excellence in Socialist Competition" award was approved on 1 September 1955 by order no. 134 and awarded until 1957.[48] The "Best Innovator" award was given out in the 1970s,[49] and the "Best Inventor" award was offered until 1991.[50]

Ministers

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The Ministry of General Machine-Building had five ministers during its existence, one having been from its first incarnation and the remaining four from its second incarnation:[3][10][51][52]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Russian: Российское космическое агентство, Rossiyskoye kosmicheskoye agentstvo, or RKA (Russian: РКА).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Gas-Dynamic Laboratory, Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926–1981 (printed version) ed.). Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya. December 1973. ISBN 9780028800004.
  2. ^ a b Chertok, Boris (31 January 2005). Rockets and People (Volume 1 ed.). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. pp. 9–10, 164–165. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b Siddiqi, Asif Azam (2000). Challenge To Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945–1974 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA History Div. pp. 6–14, 892. ISBN 9780160613050. Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  4. ^ "2 апреля 1955 года «Об образовании общесоюзного Министерства общего машиностроения СССР»". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  5. ^ Вертикальная структура: как реорганизуется космическая отрасль России, АиФ. Archived 30 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ Жорес Алферов: заметки о роли РАН в современной России, РИА. Archived 2 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ Академик Жорес Алфёров: «Нашей науке нужна философия развития» , file-rf.ru. Archived 16 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ Фронтовой дневник авторы Евгений Петров
  9. ^ "Первый министр «космического министерства»". Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  10. ^ a b "Горемыкин Пётр Николаевич МГТУ имени Баумана". Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  11. ^ Andrews, James T.; Siddiqi, Asif A. (2011). Into the Cosmos: Space Exploration and Soviet Culture. University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 978-0-8229-7746-9. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  12. ^ "Человек, создавший космическую связь". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  13. ^ a b "General Machinebuilding - Background". Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Умер один из основателей ракетно-космической промышленности России Леонид Гусев". Archived from the original on 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  15. ^ "Владимир Челомей, советский ученый, конструктор ракетной техники". Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  16. ^ "Московский институт теплотехники (МИТ)". Газета "Коммерсантъ". 7 June 2011. p. 4. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  17. ^ "История ФГУП «НПО «Техномаш»". ФГУП «НПО «Техномаш». ISBN 5-7111-0298-2. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017.
  18. ^ a b "Ministry of General Machine-building of USSR (MOM)". Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  19. ^ Быть, а не казаться. Рассказ второй. Archived 9 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ^ "О Профсоюзе". Archived from the original on 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  21. ^ Volf, D. Evolution of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: The Effects of the “Third” on the Interplay Between Cooperation and Competition. Minerva 59, 399–418 (2021). [1]
  22. ^ В неудачном запуске спутников ГЛОНАСС обвиняют математиков: причиной могла стать программная ошибка. Archived 31 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  23. ^ "Glonass". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2010-11-29.
  24. ^ С «Тополями» все было непросто. Archived 4 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  25. ^ Ракетный Харьков. НГ, 14 September 2007. Archived 31 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ^ "Успеет ли Россия создать БЖРК до удара США?". Archived from the original on 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  27. ^ "History - Milestones of development". Glavkosmos. 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  28. ^ "История компании «Главкосмос»". Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  29. ^ Harvey, Brian (2001). Russia in space. Springer. p. 277. ISBN 1-85233-203-4. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
  30. ^ "Glavcosmos (Russian Federation), CIVIL SPACE ORGANISATIONS - NATIONAL AGENCIES". Jane's Information Group. 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-10.[permanent dead link‍]
  31. ^ Rzymanek, Jerzy (1988). Elsztein, Paweł (ed.). "Oferta handlowa Gławkosmosu – ZSRR" [Glavkosmos' commercial offer – USSR]. Astronautyka (in Polish). Vol. 5, no. 159. Polskie Towarzystwo Astronautyczne. p. 12, 14. ISSN 0004-623X.
  32. ^ Сбитый с орбиты. РГ, 14 November 2008. Archived 5 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  33. ^ «Победил полный автомат», Коммерсантъ. Archived 13 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine.
  34. ^ Subramanian, T. S. (March 17–31, 2001). "The GSLV Quest". Frontline. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  35. ^ "Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS)". justthe80.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  36. ^ Raj, N Gopal (21 April 2011). "The long road to cryogenic technology". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  37. ^ Subramanian, T. S. (28 April – 11 May 2001). "The cryogenic quest". Frontline. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  38. ^ "Бывший министр общего машиностроения СССР Олег Бакланов". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  39. ^ "Космическая отрасль – это «не кафе быстрого обслуживания»". Archived from the original on 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  40. ^ Полвека без Королёва, zavtra.ru. Archived 28 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  41. ^ Федеральный закон от 13 июля 2015 г. N 215-ФЗ Archived 26 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine «8. Корпорация является правопреемником Министерства общего машиностроения СССР, Российского космического агентства, Российского авиационно-космического агентства и Федерального космического агентства в отношении международных договоров (соглашений) Российской Федерации в области космической деятельности, заключенных с органами и организациями иностранных государств и международными организациями (включая сопутствующие контрактные обязательства), а также правопреемником Российского авиационно-космического агентства и Федерального космического агентства в отношении соглашений (договоров) в указанной области, заключенных с федеральными органами государственной власти, органами государственной власти субъектов Российской Федерации, органами местного самоуправления и организациями.»
  42. ^ Государственная корпорация "Роскосмос" Archived 26 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine. «Таким образом, госкорпорация "Роскосмос" стала правопреемником Министерства общего машиностроения СССР, Российского космического агентства, Российского авиационно-космического агентства и Федерального космического агентства.»
  43. ^ "Федеральный закон N 215-ФЗ". Archived from the original on 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  44. ^ "25 февраля 1992 года образовано Российское космическое агентство, в настоящее время – Федеральное космическое агентство (Роскосмос)". Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  45. ^ Harvey, Brian (2007). "The design bureaus". The Rebirth of the Russian Space Program (1st ed.). Germany: Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-71354-0.
  46. ^ Messier, Doug (2013-08-30). "Rogozin: Russia to Consolidate Space Sector into Open Joint Stock Company". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  47. ^ Будущее космической отрасли: госкорпорация, холдинги или министерство, РИА. Archived 2 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  48. ^ "Отличник социалистического соревнования". Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  49. ^ "Лучший рационализатор министерство общего машиностроения". Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  50. ^ "Лучший изобретатель министерство общего машиностроения". Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  51. ^ "Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1917-1964". Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  52. ^ "Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1964-1991". Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
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