An enlarged Board of Directors meeting was held at S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, where the President and General Designer of the Corporation V.A. Lopota reviewed the company performance in 2008 and set tasks for the new year.
In 2008 the Corporation supported 15 launches, including those under the International Space Station (ISS) program - two launches of Soyuz TMA manned spacecraft and four launches of Progress M unmanned cargo spacecraft.
In addition to that, the flight tests of Progress M-01M spacecraft series started in the same period. The upper stages of the Block DM type that had been developed by the company successfully accomplished their missions and put various-purpose spacecraft into their target low-Earth orbits, including two launches under Glonass program.
In the new year, the Corporation work will grow in scope and intensity. There are plans to make 18 launches, including launches to ISS of four Soyuz TMA and five Progress spacecraft, and of a mini research module MRM-2.
To be simultaneously manufactured are new Soyuz TMA and Progress M spacecraft, as well as space station modules to support launches under ISS program in 2010-2011 and in subsequent years.
Altogether, eight launches of the Block DM-type upper stages are to be made under both government and commercial programs. The range of activities on unmanned spacecraft and on adaptation of launchers to them will expand.
Within the framework of Russia's updated space program for the period of up to 2015 and the long-range program for up to 2040, development work will continue on the next-generation transportation system, unmanned and manned interplanetary systems.
V.A. Lopota pointed out that carrying out these tasks would require that all the employees do their utmost. He concluded his speech by extending season's greetings to all those present at the meeting and all the employees of the Corporation, wished them all good health and new successes in their creative work.
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