The Korolyov Town Court of Moscow Region has started today hearing the case against employees of RKK Energia, a rocket and space corporation. The Investigative Committee’s Head Office charged 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.
Investigators believe that 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 Investigative Committee conducted impartial investigation into all the circumstances surrounding the incident, collected and documented enough evidence against the accused.
Thanks to qualified work done by the investigators the case with the signed indictment was referred to court.
The accused are facing up to 10 years in prison.
Acting Head of Media Relations S.L. Petrenko
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