Space industry in Russia

Roscosmos

Moscow, Russia government

Roscosmos (State Space Corporation for Space Activities, Государственная корпорация по космической деятельности «Роскосмос»), restructured as a state corporation in 2015 under Director General Yuri Borisov (since 2022, succeeding Dmitry Rogozin), is Russia's government space corporation responsible for civilian and dual-use space programs, launch services, and Russia's space industrial complex — overseeing a workforce of approximately 160,000 people across dozens of enterprises including rocket manufacturers, satellite builders, and propulsion companies. Roscosmos' Soyuz rocket family is one of the most flown launch vehicles in history with over 1,900 launches since 1966. Soyuz crewed capsules have transported cosmonauts and international crew to the ISS since 2000, providing the sole crew transportation service to the station from 2011-2020 during the US Commercial Crew development gap. The Soyuz-2 family (medium lift) remains Russia's primary satellite launch vehicle. Proton-M (heavy lift, five-stage, Angara family successor) has launched GEO communications satellites, planetary missions, and heavy ISS modules including the Nauka laboratory module. Angara is Russia's next-generation launch vehicle family: Angara-1.2 (light) and Angara-A5 (heavy, 24 t LEO) use a modular Universal Rocket Module architecture that eliminates toxic UDMH/N2O4 propellants in favor of LOX/kerosene. Angara-A5's development has been prolonged, with limited flights through 2024. The Vostochny Cosmodrome (Amur Region, completed 2016) is Russia's new domestic launch site reducing dependence on Baikonur Cosmodrome (leased from Kazakhstan). Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 severely disrupted Roscosmos: international commercial launch contracts cancelled, OneWeb launch halted, ESA's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover development paused (rover's carrier spacecraft was Russian Kazachok lander), and ESA's removal of Russian cooperation from multiple programs. Russia also withdrew from the ISS program partnership beyond 2024, though actual ISS cooperation continued. Roscosmos announced a Russian national space station (ROSS) to be built after ISS operational end.

GK Launch Services is a Russian commercial launch-services operator headquartered in Moscow, established in May 2017 as a joint venture between Glavkosmos — the commercial-export subsidiary of the Roscosmos state corporation — and International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras, with Glavkosmos holding a 75% stake. The company was created to market and sell commercial launch capacity on the Soyuz-2 family of launch vehicles, flown from Russian spaceports including Baikonur Cosmodrome, to international satellite operators. GK Launch Services sells dedicated and rideshare launches primarily on the Soyuz-2 rocket, which the company markets on the vehicle's long flight-proven heritage, reliability and status as one of the few launch vehicles certified for crewed spaceflight (used operationally to carry cosmonauts and astronauts to the International Space Station on other Soyuz variants). The company conducted its first fully commercial mission on 22 March 2021, and has since managed additional rideshare missions carrying batches of international and domestic smallsat payloads. As a joint subsidiary of a Russian state space corporation, GK Launch Services' international commercial business has operated within the broader context of sanctions and reduced Western customer access to Russian launch vehicles that has affected the Russian space sector; the company nonetheless continues to offer Soyuz-2 commercial launch services and accepts satellite launch inquiries through its website. Specific current leadership names and a comprehensive launch manifest were not available in the primary sources reviewed for this entry.

Glavkosmos is a Russian joint-stock company, a subsidiary of the state corporation Roscosmos, that manages the commercialisation and international export of Russian space launch and satellite services. It was established on 23 May 1985 — originally to coordinate Soviet space cooperation with foreign governments and to manage technology-transfer agreements, including a 1991 agreement to transfer KVD-1 cryogenic rocket engine production technology to the Indian Space Research Organisation, which led the United States to place sanctions on Glavkosmos in 1992. The company is headquartered in Moscow and is led by CEO Ilya Sergeyevich Tarasenko, who has held the role since 2023, following predecessors Dmitry Loskutov (2018-2023) and Denis Lyskov (2016-2018). Today Glavkosmos markets and coordinates a broad range of Russian space capabilities internationally: dedicated and rideshare commercial satellite launches (primarily on Soyuz-2.1 vehicles from Russian spaceports), short-duration commercial spaceflights to the International Space Station, and Earth observation imagery and data services. The company states it has more than 40 years of space-industry experience, has concluded more than 140 international contracts, and has executed over 300 successful launches carrying secondary/rideshare payloads; in November 2024 it coordinated a rideshare mission deploying 51 Russian spacecraft in a single launch, a national record. Glavkosmos's most significant operating subsidiary for commercial launch sales is GK Launch Services, a joint venture established in May 2017 with International Space Company Kosmotras in which Glavkosmos holds a 75% stake. Glavkosmos has also managed Russia's participation in the "Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre" programme with Arianespace. As a wholly state-linked entity, Glavkosmos's international commercial business has been shaped by the broader pattern of sanctions affecting the Russian space sector, though specific current sanctions on the company were not detailed in the sources reviewed beyond the historical 1992 U.S. sanction noted above.

Intersputnik

Moscow, Russia government

Intersputnik (International Organization of Space Communications) is a Moscow-based intergovernmental organization founded in 1971 as the Soviet-era counterpart to INTELSAT — the US-dominated global satellite communications organization — providing a multilateral telecommunications satellite framework for the Soviet Union and its allied states during the Cold War. Established by treaty among 9 founding socialist states, Intersputnik grew to 26 member states drawn primarily from former Soviet republics, Eastern European countries, Cuba, Vietnam, and other nations in the Soviet sphere of influence. Unlike INTELSAT (later privatized as PanAmSat/Intelsat), Intersputnik remains an intergovernmental organization operating under its founding international treaty, which grants it certain immunities and privileges as an international legal entity. Its primary commercial function is satellite transponder capacity resale — leasing satellite bandwidth from Russian operators (RSCC, Gazprom Space Systems) and reselling to member state telecommunications companies and broadcasters for DTH television, broadband, and government communications. Post-2022 Western sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine have significantly complicated Intersputnik's operations, as many member-state connections to Western financial systems and satellite capacity markets have been disrupted, though the organization formally continues operating as an international body.

Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev, founded in 1959 and located in Zheleznogorsk, Russia, is a key player in the Russian space industry focused on the design and manufacturing of satellites. The company operates as a comprehensive satellite systems provider, with core business areas encompassing satellite manufacturing, communications, and navigation technologies. ISS Reshetnev is notably the primary developer and manufacturer of satellites for the GLONASS global navigation satellite system, Russia’s equivalent to GPS. A significant portion of ISS Reshetnev’s activity centers around the “Express” series of communications satellites, providing crucial infrastructure for Russian communications networks. The company functions as a full-cycle manufacturer, indicating capabilities spanning satellite design, component production, assembly, testing, and launch support. Operating as a “Siberian space center,” ISS Reshetnev appears to be a strategically important national asset for Russia. Due to limited publicly available information, a detailed assessment of specific technologies beyond its core areas is difficult. However, its long-standing role as the GLONASS satellite provider and manufacturer of the Express series suggests expertise in areas such as satellite platform design, radio frequency systems, and on-board processing. ISS Reshetnev holds a unique position as the leading Russian satellite platform manufacturer and a critical component of Russia’s independent space capabilities in both communications and navigation. Its focus on full-cycle manufacturing and strategic location within Russia underscore its importance to the nation’s space infrastructure.

Khrunichev State Research Center

Moscow, Russia government

Khrunichev State Research Center, founded in 1916 and based in Moscow, Russia, is a major Russian manufacturer specializing in launch vehicles, spacecraft, and propulsion systems. The company is best known as the primary manufacturer of the Proton rocket, a long-serving and reliable workhorse for both Russian government and commercial payloads to various orbits. Beyond the Proton, Khrunichev is actively developing the next-generation Angara rocket family, intended to replace existing launch systems and provide Russia with independent access to space. A key component of Khrunichev’s offerings is the Briz upper stage, utilized with both Proton and Angara rockets to enhance payload delivery capabilities and mission flexibility. This upper stage provides in-space maneuvering and precise orbital insertion. While specific details regarding spacecraft production are limited in available information, the company’s stated capabilities encompass the full spectrum of space systems development. As a historic aerospace facility with over a century of experience, Khrunichev plays a critical role in Russia’s space program. The company’s continued development of the Angara family signifies a commitment to maintaining independent launch capabilities and adapting to evolving space access needs. Given the limited publicly available information, a comprehensive assessment of Khrunichev’s customer base is difficult. However, as a major state-owned enterprise, it is understood to serve primarily the Russian government and its space agencies, while also historically providing launch services to international commercial clients.