Not a single bread ...

Graduate MSTU named after Bauman, cand. tech. sciences, leading designer of the first Russian private space company Dauria Aerospace Ivan Sobolev Triv- science told about the problems of Russian cosmonautics. The author of the article in 2010-2012 was the Technical Director of the Selelenokhod team , the only Russian participant in the Google Lunar X Rpize contest .

In recent years, perhaps the most lazy journalist did not write about the problems of domestic cosmonautics. Moreover, regardless of how professionally he is versed in what he writes about.

In the same way, regardless of their competence and anything else, almost all those who write in most cases focus on the same factor, which, in their opinion, determines not the best state of the industry - low salaries of employees. And if you listen to such authors, then it involuntarily gets the impression that the state is just more generous with a ringing coin, and the rich industry workers, acquiring all kinds of cottages, cars, apartments and other vital benefits, immediately, by the wave of a magical market stick, will give out the masterpieces of engineering labor, which will significantly be comparable to the “seven”, “Saturnes”, “East” and “Apollo” or even overshadow them.

Unfortunately, over the past decades, the market “axiom” has firmly drove into our consciousness: the one who is more paid is working better. Therefore, every time at the next “cosmic” failure, the layman, even having a professional attitude to the industry, primarily makes the simplest and most straightforward conclusion about its root cause: provide salaries at the level, and everything will be chocolate.

But is everything so unambiguous in the matter in question?

First of all, a simple truth. If you start paying a fifth grader for good grades, does this mean that it only under the influence of this factor will competently solve the tasks of the graduation level? It is unlikely.

A very similar situation is formed today and on a huge number of enterprises, and not only in the space industry. These enterprises can at least fill with money and all these infusions can be thrown into the wage fund. But there will be no significant result - because the staff simply lack the necessary experience and skills. Aksakals of the Soviet school, unfortunately, are already at old age; Young people, even talented, do not yet have the necessary experience, and the main traction power - those who are between thirty and five, simply do not (thank you recent nineties). Alas, in order for such an enterprise to create new “seven” and “Soyuz”, exclusively salary increases are not enough. For above the head, as they say, you will not jump. Even for good money.

No directives will help here, because good specialists need to be carefully and carefully grown, educated, and create conditions for them to grow into experience. The pilot who rises to the sky “once a month according to the promise” is bad. The soldier who spends most of the service is bad behind the trim of lawns in front of the headquarters building. And in the same way, the engineer who, instead of creativity with the inevitable samples and mistakes in it, is engaged in the best case of repetition of the and thoughtless execution of someone’s orders.

But what do we have in real life?

Firstly, a person who comes to work for space enterprises is in most cases immediately finds himself in a rigid hierarchical structure. It is not bad in itself, moreover - when creating such a complex technique, it is often necessary. It is bad that in the current form it does not allow the manifestation of the initiative. And if Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and many other leaders of his era at least did not leave the proposals that came to them, then modern directors, as a rule, “do not fall”.

And when a novice specialist is faced with the fact that few people need his knowledge and creative potential, and all that is required of him is to follow the will of the head of the department or direction in the wake of the will, then very quickly his desire to create and bring to life something new disappears. And then, even with a completely adequate salary, after a relatively short period of time, he either goes into more living structures where he can show himself, or replenish the ranks of the mass that only sets off the time at the enterprise from the call to the call and to expect a breakthrough on the way to the future, it is clear.

Secondly, I note that to a large extent, this outcome is also facilitated by the current design practice, which puts unification at the forefront with what has already been developed and tested earlier. And very often - with constructive and design solutions, which yesterday had been hit for more than a dozen years. Yes, reliable and worked out, tested along and down, flying more than once, but - alas, morally obsolete and simply not meeting modern approaches to the creation of space technology. With this attitude to the task, of course, it is much easier to write an annual report or “close the card” for a particular work. But to expect any significant advance forward, you yourself understand is problematic.

Now about even more sad. As the reason for the accident of the Proton, which occurred in May of this year, a version of the causing deliberate harm was officially announced. We will leave detailed conclusions. But let's think about how and why could this happen?

Of course, in order to do this, you need to be finished scum. And fierce hatred to hate everything that is possible, first of all, is your own enterprise. But, unfortunately, these hatred and abominations grow not from scratch, but have very good soil under them. It is not so difficult to direct the seedlings to a professional who is well versed in psychology in the right direction. In order to make sure of this, it is enough to listen to the conversations of people “in the smoking room” about what, as they say, was painful.

Therefore, in the place of the head of the investigation group, as recommendations on the prevention and prevention of this, I personally would strongly recommend that the managers of some enterprises at least just change their attitude to those people who work for them.

And this, of course, is not at all about a global increase in salaries, because this is the very attitude not only by it (and not even primarily with it) is characterized. Yes, and measures are not needed for this not that very expensive.

For example, put the asphalt in front of the passage, so that in the rain in front of it there is no puddle, which can only be crossed in rubber boots. Provide normal nutrition in the dining rooms, so that at lunch each time you do not have to choose the best of the worst. To withdraw the cockroaches that settled in these very dining rooms. Repair toilets. Of course, we are talking about those that “for the people” - for the authorities often use their own, locked in a key. Observe at least the elementary norms of SanPin when organizing and placing jobs. Buy modern furniture instead of already broken old.

And this is not the whole list of very sad moments that perfectly characterize the attitude towards people. The attitude that these very people see perfectly. And they make quite logical conclusions: why should I treat the enterprise with my soul and the case that it offers me if they treat me here in a way? And from such a conclusion is already very close to frank betrayal. And in any case, with such an attitude, even just talk about conscientious work, what is it - about creative initiatives.

Following. To a large extent, the state of the industry and the level of motivation of its employees are determined by the very strategy of its development.

I will explain: in order for a person to treat his work with full dedication, and not sit out at the workplace from the call to the call, this very work should be interesting and exciting. There should be a high meaning in it - so that the executing one will build it The temple , not hesitated the money or dragged the bricks. But I very much doubt that such an exciting business can be the design of the next orbital Internet resort for the next distant country. However, to fly to the planets, to the moon, and at least organize new generation research missions similar to the European Goc or Swarm, we are not very going to. But young souls can only be attracted and lighting with such breakthrough projects, promising something new and interesting, and not a banal repetition and improvement of long-mastered technologies.

In the past years, many words sounded that "the cosmos should be pragmatic." But it seems that in an unbridled desire for this pragmatization today we came close to the moment when we need just the opposite, or rather, a clear state program for supporting precisely the “unsplanging” space. Moreover, there are many people who are ready to work on such projects, without even pretending to be superpowers, but for the opportunity to prove themselves in a truly interesting case, realize a dream, write articles, dissertations, and finally declare your name. And it is thought that it is necessary to organize and support such centers primarily at universities, since the student environment is the most initiative and fallen on breakthrough projects.

And finally, one more circumstance. The success of the project, the motivation of people and the quality of their work directly depend on the relations formed in the team.

The past decades unprecedentedly atomized Russian society and did not really contribute to the formation of people in people even just a desire to communicate with each other, especially - to build a friendly relationship. And at best, we come to work to colleagues, and often just to outsiders with whom we are only forced to interact in one way or another. The troubles that such a situation carry in itself even noticed pragmatic businessmen, and recently, many companies have become fashionable for various corporate “commanding trainings”, designed to at least somehow rally staff. However, in the Russian cultural tradition, as practice has shown, they do not always achieve the goal, and sometimes even lead to the exact opposite result.

What exactly needs to be done in order for friends and comrades to work on space projects, and not by chance the people gathered in one place, at least indifferent to each other, and often simply in enemy relations? To rejuvenate personnel (remember how contact and friendly we were in the student and how did we know how to infect other people around us with these qualities)? Purposeful to form stable traditions in enterprise teams? Think about specific steps to maintain a psychological climate? In a word, you need to strive for such an organization of work in the industry, in which people sincerely want to come to their workplace. And not only for a decent salary, and not only for a fascinating business, but also in a team in which they would be pleased to be and work.

And then, with a combination of all these three main factors, we can do a lot.