News

The Head Office of the Investigative Committee has finished criminal proceedings against workers of OAO RKK Energia, a public corporation: head of department 242 incorporated in unit 24 Stanislav Balakin, deputy head of unit 24 for on-board and ground systems of spacecraft and launch vehicles Sergei Lomtev, deputy head of the scientific and technical center for systems of launch vehicles Alexander Marynov and engineer of department 242 Yuri Bolshigin. They are charged with abuse of power entailing grievous consequences under Part 2 of Article 201 of the RF Penal Code.

According to investigators, aware of the use of new upper-stage rocket 11S861-03 the accused failed to correct the oxidant filling level formula in the documents of the filling control system. As a result, when the upper-stage rocket was being filled at Baikonur space launching site on 5 December 2010, the necessary mass of liquid oxygen was exceeded by 1,582 kilos which prevented the rocket to take three Glonass M satellites to the tailored orbit.

The crash of satellites caused the state a damage of 4.3 billion rubles.

During a preliminary investigation the accused denied the charges, but the investigators collected enough evidence against them.

The criminal case with the signed indictment has been referred to court.

Acting Head of Media Relations                                                                                                              S.L. Petrenko