Prokopjew

INTERVIEW

– I am Kotelnikov Vyacheslav Ivanovich. 

Almost my entire adult life, I worked for defense industry at rocket factory “Polet / ПОЛЕТ ” or “Poljot” Production Association (PO Polet). Now it is named “Roscosmos“. Formerly – Ministry of General Engineering. I am 55 years old. My carrier started from workman, but if you see my Employment Book, you may found the following records – Head of Science and Technology Center, Lead Engineer, and Design Engineer.

Now, I do almost the same thing. That is, if take into consideration only my innovative work, I am involved in it for the last 35 years. Therefore, with regard to innovative work, I am the best aerospace inventor, certificate No22. Naturally, I was awarded military decorations both in USSR and modern Russia, the part of USSR. 

So, why are we meeting here?

Since I work for defense industry, all the issues on ensuring national defense capability are very important to me. That is what I was doing almost all my life. These issues included rocket production and engine production. By the way, my Polet manufactured and assimilated technology of the most potent rocket engine D-170 and D-171. Also, our Polet released the aircraft AN-74, and the most reliable rocket recorded in the Guinness Book of Records – rocket Cosmos 3-M – its factor of safety is 98%. So, as the saying goes, the factory is not justgreat, but high-technological. But then some people, I don’tknow what to call these random people: morons, idiots or someone else, came. They were appointed not by the government, but by Mr. Kalinovsky, who took his position to make aerospace industry get up off its knees. In reality, for the short period from 2016 to 2018 of their and Komarov’s ( Colonel Soviet Air Force V. Komarov ) management of aerospace industry enterprise, only devastation occurs. As the outcome, we may see the unsuccessful rocket flight with crew, with people (that is all we ever worry about), to the space. Yes, the report goes that emergency rescue system has worked, thank God. …. So, thank Korolev ( the “father” of all soviet space engineers ) and Glushko, who developed the aerospace industry. But these people, who are now involved in the aerospace industry, what they do? Yes, theyonly take money out of budget. 

– Is it about enterprise in Omsk only or everything?

– It is about everything. Because enterprise in Omsk is just the successful organization. Now, it was reconstructed to workshop. Almost all process equipment has been destroyed or sold for scrapping.

They said that now rocket Angara will be produced here. All qualified rocket engineers state that Angara is outdated for about 30 years. It is necessary to launch the production of heavy-lift rocket. The President issued two Decrees to resumeoperation. The General Director of RSC “Energia” – Lopota formed a team, and the team already prepared a whole plan how to construct this rocket. Then Komarov, Rogozin came: nobody knows about this plan anymore and money is gone too.

I would say that these people, if the President holds them to account, they all should leave the industries, resign their leadership posts of United Engine Corporation, Russian Helicopters and Aviation Corporation. Civil servants should give way to specialists. They exist and graduate every year. For example, Bauman Moscow State Technical University. We have a huge field of action, our country has been destroyed, and we should rebuild the country at the same rate as Stalin rebuilt it. It was the strenuous effort, but everyone knew why we should do it. Now, you may ask any Russian citizen and he or she will have no idea why the factory has been suddenly destroyed, why the rocket didn’t fly away. I don’t know how to explain this tothem that 40 years before the rockets flew, and now fall. 

Why?

Because the person assigned to above position is usually sportsman or anybody else …. not an engineer. And more striking is the fact that he believe he can manage. They better tell him about self-guided bullets that, as Rogozin and the Ministry of Defense said, you may take a shot at you enemy and it will find him. How? Should it find on a passport or anything else? Of course, this is foolishness. Americans make such a fake, and our ministry takesup an idea that we will outrun them. Now, very active and successful rocket specialist (as stated) Musk says “Private space flight… Private space flight…”. You know, the government supports him, and produce all units and devices for him. Namely, Unites States. There, unlike our country’s top leadership, they didn’t distribute responsibility for aerospace industry among small enterprises, but collected in one place. Here, in our country nobody can take an unnecessary step. 

– Is he like an interface, right?

– Yes. He is a frontman of engineering and economic marvel. Actually, everybody knows that after landing the rocket, for example, you should to dismantle it, inspect its condition, remove the parts that cannot be used twice or thrice, then repeatedly test it. Its cost becomes the same as the cost of new one. But when you manufacture the new rocket, every manufacturing team member will guarantee the quality. In this situation, only one or two people may guarantee the same. These could be the microcracks in tank or something else. Aerospacedoes not tolerate savings on small stuff. Here, 100% guarantee should be. Look, how long our aerospace industry has been stayed up, then – broken down. After that, the above random people, for example, Komarov, Kalinovsky or Ostroushenko,came. The latter destroyed the Polet in Omsk bit by bit. 

– Did he destroy it in the end or not?

– Only one workshop is working now. And he does nothing because process equipment has been disposed. 

– You wrote about the press machine.

– All equipment was scrapped. Of course, many persons from aerospace and spaceship industry asked to buy these machines. 

It was like spy acts – “No. We have no right. We have no permission.” all the equipment has been transported to Novosibirsk, destroit dismantled and disappeared. Sure, such equipment is not available elsewhere. And sanctions prohibited purchasinghigh-tech equipment. If we buy something under sanctions, it certainly will contain bugging device, which will monitor all your actions through GPS. Therefore, this situation connected not only to defense or aerospace industry, but to perception of the Ministry of Defense. There is a lot of fake news. For example, a high-speed helicopter. They make a big deal about it. In fact, they took old MI-124, removed all equipment from it, attached a plastic nose to it, then made a few squiggles on its blades and announced that its speed will be 800 km per hour. Listen, it can fly on a maximum rated speed. Mil, Kamov – they were genius, they knew what they do. But those people who work for Russian Helicopters – we have such a corporation – they don’t know how to construct a new helicopter. They modified and repainted the old helicopter, then designers attached something and announced it a new super flying vehicle.

– They also changed the name for one digit.

– And changed the name. The thing is that it is easier. Like a joke, you should change not the bed, but… (laugh)

When I started to work at my factory, my Polet, the equipment was supplied from 60-65 countries under different brands: from pre-Revolutionary press machines to American lathe machines, etc. We worked on German machines and even makeshift machines. And we made the rockets that fly. Why? Because – it would be better to explain this to Rogozin, but he wouldn’t understand – that any mechanism, Swiss clockwork drive or rocket, is a unique original product, which should be made by man, the specialist. It should be made not by machine. Themachine may be even primitive with prompting indicators, but the part should be 100%, the same as required. The part should be made by man, because he knows how to make it. The specific tolerance is given, he make it right. That’s not written in manuals which machine to be used. Now, we produce in the following way: well, let’s dispose all old equipment and buy the necessary machines, then hire unqualified person, who will push the button and it’s over. Everything will be ready, everything will work. Now all that’s left is to hire the guest workers, who will assemble the rocket with screwdriver. Ante up!

– Do you not exaggerate?

– I don’t exaggerate. 12 billion rubles were spent to destroy my rocket factory “Polet”. For destruction, not for renovation. But in grand plans it was specified that it was spend to optimize, increase work productivity, increase production, etc. Saying truth, present production level is equal to bed workshop level. Why? If you only assemble without manufacturing, electroplating, welding the parts, if you don’t have a billet shopand other machine workshops, who are you? It so happens thatwashers, nuts, frame, etc. are delivered in a special container from all over the country for a lot of money by air, railway and other transport. Formerly, they all were manufactured on onefactory. They were reliable. If you found any defect, the new part would be immediately manufactured. Now, it’s different. When they initiate optimization, they said: “Well, we’ll transport them from Omsk to Ust-Katav, an Ural town. There, they’ll manufacture the parts for us, send them to us and we assemble the rocket from them.” This factory covers 500 square meters. And a press machine weighted 100 tons has been transported to it. Nowadays, it is located outdoors. Because, firstly, nobody knows how to bring it indoors, secondly, the factory ceiling is too low to place it. And above all, there is no specialist who can work on this press machine. The result is that they started to produce the parts for this press machine in Perm and other locations. Unfortunately, 90% defected parts are supplied. Why? No inspection is conducted there and no incoming inspection is performed here due to supposedly all operations shall be carry out by automation. So, Rome wasn’t built in one day. And all people should work hard.

About a hole drilled at Soyuz. I believe it is a detective story. Sure, Rogozin impulsively accused of our sworn enemyAmericans. But Americans keep silent, they don’t comment this. Why? Because it is more likely that the hole was drilled on the ground – maybe by locksmith or assembler, who has a salary of 16,000 rubles. But it’s not because he did it intentionally or he was paid for this. No! He was just involved in another work,guarded something or swept up, to feed his family; he had real shaky hands or the man was tired of mess; he was waiting and,in the end, his hand twitched. But he sealed it! Source data clearly demonstrated that it was sealed, then it got unglued and felt down. Anyway, the fact is that no one found the hole;workman kept silence or even forgot about this, as the rocket is big and the hole is too small. Maybe he came to work from Moldavia and gone back in a month. 

People like:

Musk,  Korolev or Glushko can work only when they know that the government and society are needed all what they do. We have a lot of such people, a perfect designers, who know how to do this. For example, the General Designer Lopota, who is the General Director of “Energia” and who is the designer of Soyuz / СОЮЗ ( Sojus ) spacecraft, but he is not a member of the Accident Investigation Board. This shows that civil servants will meet, hustle and say what is convenient for them. But from thetechnological and purely technical point of view, nothing will change or will only get worse. Because when they’ve initiated optimization of aerospace industry in 2014, the first thing they did was liquidation of military acceptance for 80% and inspection service for 90%, saying that these employees are spongers who produce nothing and only waste the test tubes.Now, we see the outcome. But we may change the situation and turn to at least the graduates from the Bauman University. This is a talent pool for any industry.

Every second specialist in aerospace industry graduated from the Bauman University. Their senior year students would prepare a rejuvenation plan within a mouth. The aerospace industry rejuvenation plan! No, they recruit accountants, veterinary physicians or agricultural sector workers to manage the aerospace industry.

So, that’s the result.

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Prokopyev are expected on Earth on December 20, 2018, with more information about this incident.

—- FOLLOW ATICLE PART. II coming soon —-