Do not catch up and not overtake

On May 16, the space industry of the Russian Federation suffered the next fiasco: the Proton-M launch vehicle was unable to bring into the orbit the most powerful Express-AM4R communication satellite worth 1 billion rubles. The wreckage of the rocket and satellite burned at an altitude of 160 km above China.

Proton-M launch vehicle with a satellite "Express-AM4R" at the start: Cosmodrome Baikonur, on May 13, 2014 the accident occurred on May 16 9 minutes after the rocket /east News took place: AFP /East News

You ask: what to do? And I’ll tell you: now change the head of the Roscosmos, reprimand the worker who, when installing the steering engine of the Proton-M rocket, did not switch something there-and nothing, nothing will change. The missiles were falling and will fall. Because the trouble of my favorite industry is systemic.

The space industry began to fall apart not yesterday, but from the time of perestroika, when the market relations that came to the country began to turn into markets.

Everything that does not bring much money was closed, including technical schools and schools where workers were preparing. Our scientists can draw the best missile in the world, but who will sharpen steel, who will drill?

Last year, international competitions of working professions were held in Leipzig (WorldSkills Championship.-The New Times), Russia there took 41st place out of 54. And the first place was taken by South Korea, where all the people of working professions-higher education. Why? Yes, because they should work on machines with digital control! In our factories, they still work on Soviet machines DIP - “catch up and overtake” (it was meant to “catch up and overtake America” - the slogan nominated by Comrade Stalin).

In Soviet times, the best graduates, the best specialists were selected in the space industry, and we worked as devils. But now, when estimates are bought for money, where do you take such a graduate?

In Samara at the missile plant, the average age of workers is 63 years. Young experts, at least forty -year -olds, have nowhere to take. They must be grown again, and in less than 10 years to grow a new worker will not be able to.

The same trouble is with scientists, although there are still many talented people among them. But everyone who has brains runs abroad. And not because they pay more there. A real scientist is often ready to work almost for nothing, just give him good equipment, good laboratories.

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Change the head of Roscosmos now, reprimand the worker who has not switched something there-and nothing can change

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This whole complex of problems cannot be solved by simple injection of money. What has been spoiled for years, years will have to be recreated for years. This is a long, serious process.

And yet - please stop believing politicians. If I have a language to express scientific and technical thoughts, then politicians-to lie, pursuing their goals. Our Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin is a politician. And all his statements about the possible prohibition of GPS are almost nothing to do with reality. (See the material on page 17.)

Remember, last year there was also an accident of the Proton-M missile-it was supposed to bring three GLONASS satellites into orbit. What is this talking about? The fact that the grouping of satellites is still incomplete, it is in the process of refinement. And how can we talk about the ban on GPS?

If, for example, I, using our domestic GLONASS system, be lost in the forest - the trouble is not great. But the fact that the rocket directed along the Glonassa towards the enemy can fly in the wrong place - this is already scary. So when our politicians once again say that you need to ban any technology, think about where the missiles will fall later.