The Russian government has blocked the appointment of a new director of the Baikonur Cosmodrome – Centrasia.ru

The Russian government has blocked the appointment of a new director of the Baikonur Cosmodrome
11:46 11.11.2014

The next year, the Federal Space Agency will be forced to announce a new, already the third, a competition for the right to lead the Center for operation of ground-based space infrastructure

Roskosmos could not appoint a Director General of operation of ground-based space infrastructure (TsENKI) Alexander Sirotkin because of disagreement of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation, told “Izvestia” a senior source in the Federal Space Agency. As a result of the competition, held Roscosmos for the right to occupy the vacant post of head of TsENKI, declared invalid, and Sirotkin appointed acting CEO. In TsENKI “News” confirmed this information.

– New, is the third, a competition for the position of CEO TsENKI scheduled for spring 2015 – explained in Roskosmos.

November 6 Roskosmos on its website officially announced the appointment of Alexander Sirotkin TsENKI head. It was stated that Sirotkin offer the best program for the development of the enterprise and won the competition, having received the overwhelming majority of votes of the members of the tender committee.

– In fact, by the time of publication of the notice, it was clear that a candidate does not pass Sirotkin, – says the source in the Russian Space Agency. – Despite the fact that most members of his program like Nikolai Moiseyev, board member of the military industrial complex, participated in the competition committee, did not support the candidacy Sirotkin. Then in Roskosmos was directed and written government’s position on this matter.

The press service of the Russian Space Agency refused to discuss the circumstances of the appearance on the website of the agency reports allegedly held in TsENKI competition and its winners.

Alexander Sirotkin at the time the contest was deputy director general of Concern PVO “Almaz-Antey”. Participate in the competition it personally persuaded the head of Roscosmos Oleg Ostapenko, specify in Roskosmos. At the final stage of the competition committee, which was held on October 30, Sirotkin confronted the deputy director general of the United rocket-space corporation Vladimir Kovalev.

Source Guide TsENKI suggested that a message allegedly held the contest and selected head on it was Roscosmos initiated with the aim of several reassure public opinion and handle the situation in a team TsENKI.

– Standing in the head company does not already almost a year, things are not going brilliantly at Baikonur now heating problems with the water supply in residential home, there are many issues that are not solved interim leadership – says the source “Izvestia”. – Probably, in this situation, the authorities decided to cheer people Roscosmos optimistic message that the head was found, he has a good program of development of the enterprise. Surely there payment was made exclusively on the PR-effect, since it is clear that the Acting will not implement any development program.

Until December 2013 TsENKI headed Alexander Fadeev, who led the company for 12 years. Last year, after a quarrel with Fadeev Ostapenko wrote a letter of resignation. Acting director general was appointed Sergey Lazarev, who was considered the most likely candidate to head the company. By the time of the first contest for the seat of the head of TsENKI (April this year) in the Lazarev also soured relations with Ostapenko, bringing the competition was canceled a few days before the announcement of its results. Speaking about the reasons for the termination of the contest, Ostapenko mention “operational necessity”, without giving further details.

November 11, 2014, Ivan Cheberko |