Medvedev reprimanded the head of Roskosmos

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the head of Roscosmos Vladimir Popovkin, accusing him of improper performance of his duties. This was reported by RIA "Novosti" with reference to the press service of the White House. Popovkin has been heading the department since 2011.

On July 2, the Proton-M launch vehicle with the DM-03 acceleration unit and three Russian navigation spacecraft Glonass-M, which started from the Baikonur cosmodrome, fell in the first minute of the start. There were no victims and destruction. This was the first start of the Proton with the DM-03 acceleration block after the accident on December 5, 2010.

On July 18, the deputy head of Roscosmos, Alexander Lopatin, said that the main reason for the last accident was the incorrect operation of the angular velocity sensor. "The accident occurred as a result of the loss of stabilization through the gearing channel due to the emergency functioning of the angular velocity sensor," the official said.

On July 4, two days after the accident, the Accounts Chamber announced the inefficiency of the expenditure of funds allocated by the space industry. "In fact, a system of collective irresponsibility for the formation and implementation of state policy in this area has developed," the department reported.

The costs of creating and maintaining the performance of satellites in Russia are four times higher than abroad, the Accounts Chamber noted, and the number of satellites launched into orbit in 2010-2012 amounted to 47 percent of the planned value.