The United Rocket and Space Corporation (Russian: Объединенная ракетно-космическая корпорация) is a Russian joint-stock corporation being formed by the Russian government in 2013 to renationalize the Russian space sector. The government intends to do so in such a way as to "preserve and enhance the Roscosmos space agency.[1]
In announcing the new corporation in August 2013, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said "the failure-prone space sector is so troubled that it needs state supervision to overcome its problems."[1] The name for the organization had first been provisionally floated in July 2013 when—three days following the failure of a Proton M launch—the Russian government announced that "extremely harsh measures" would be taken "and spell the end of the [Russian] space industry as we know it."[2]
More detailed plans released in October 2013 called for a re-nationalization of the "troubled space industry," with sweeping reforms including a new "unified command structure and reducing redundant capabilities, acts that could lead to tens of thousands of layoffs."[3] The Russian space sector employs about 250,000 people, while the United States has about 70,000 people working in the field. "Russian space productivity is eight times lower than America’s, with companies duplicating one anothers’ work and operating at about 40 percent efficiency."[3]
In December 2013 President Putin issued the presidential decree setting up the corporation. The decree stipulated that the corporation will take over manufacturing facilities from the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).[4]
The company includes most companies and design bureaus, save for some defence companies. The corporation will consist of nine federal unitary enterprises to be turned into open joint-stock companies. The URSC's authorized capital will also include the shares of 13 other companies. Subsequently each of them will contribute 100 percent of shares minus one share to the new corporation’s authorized capital.[5] The corporation will be 100 percent state-owned.[6]
United Rocket and Space Corporation plans to acquire a controlling interest in rocket-engine manufacturer Energia, of which the Russian government already owned a 38 percent interest as of August 2013[update].
Oleg Ostapenko, the new head of Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, has proposed in November 2013 that a new heavy lift launch vehicle be built for the Russian space program. The rocket would be intended to place a payload of 100 tonnes (220,000 lb) in a baseline low Earth orbit and is projected to be based on the Angara launch vehicle technology. [7]
Even the Russian mainstream press have called this a radical reorganization of an important Russian industry. For example, RIA Novosti called it a redical centralization of the Russian space industry.[4]