Fwd: 3 Senior Managers Fired for Proton Crash

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: August 24, 2013 8:34:41 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: 3 Senior Managers Fired for Proton Crash

3 Senior Managers Fired Over Proton-M Crash

 

MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) – Three senior managers at Russia's Khrunichev space company were dismissed over a Proton-M space rocket's crash last month, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Friday.

 

The Khrunichev-made rocket, carrying three satellites for the Glonass positioning system, Russia's rival to the United States' GPS, fell to the ground in flames shortly after blastoff on July 2.

 

Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, determined that the crash occurred because the rocket's angular velocity sensors were installed upside down, causing the craft to veer off course. The combined cost of the lost rocket and satellites was estimated at $135 million.

 

Rogozin said Friday that the deputy general director of quality control and management at Khrunichev, Alexander Kobzar, the head of final assembly, Valery Grekov, and the chief of the technical control department, Mikhail Lebedev, had been dismissed for "inappropriate fulfillment of duties during the production and preparation of the Proton-M."

 

He added that a special state commission would present a final report on the Proton-M crash "in about a month, sometime after September 20." The responsibility for the crash among the staff and management of Roscosmos is to be determined after the report is presented to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

 

© 2013  RIA Novosti

 

 

Several space industry officials sacked over Proton rocket launch failure

 

MOSCOW, August 23 (Itar-Tass) - A government commission has determined the degree of guilt of Khrunichev space centre executives responsible for the July 2 Proton rocket launch failure, Russia's Vice-Primte Minister Dmitry Rogozin told reporters.

 

For failing to properly perform their duties in preparing the rocket carrying three Glonass-M satellites for launch, the centre's deputy director deneral for quality control, Alexander Kobzar, head of the assembly shop Valery Grekov and head of the technical control department Mikhail Lebedev are dismissed, Rogozin said, reporting first conclusions of the government commission he heads.

 

Several other officials had been brought to account for not ensuring proper use of appropriate technologies and control over assembly work, Rogozin said. The degree of responsibility of executives of the federal space agency Roscosmos would be determined after an investigation into the launch vehicle's early lift-off, Rogozin added, noting that final conclusions were expected in late September.

 

Asked who would determine the responsibility of agency officials, the official said this would be for the government to decide, based on the report he would present to Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev.

 

Rogozin said blame among engineers and technical workers at the space centre would be determined by the enterprise management. The government commission did not deal with the activities of assembly workers, he said, adding that this was an issue of organization of work at the center itself.

 

© Copyright 2013 ITAR-TASS