A scientific-research institute of space engineering will be established on the basis of Samara State Aerospace University (SSAU), press-service of the government of Samara Region reports.

It was reported following the results of working meeting of Nikolay Merkushin, governor of Samara Region, with the CEO of TsSKB-Progress, Alexander Kirilin.

The institute will be located in one of the buildings of SSAU; it will have its own classrooms, laboratories and production site intended for manufacturing small spacecraft. It is also planned to create departments of aircraft and spacecraft production. «The Scientific-Research Institute will be opened in the fourth quarter of 2013 and the assembly line will be launched in 2017. Professors and students of SSAU, employees of TsSKB-Progress and other specialists of the region’s aerospace cluster will be working in the institute», - the press-service reported.  

Nikolay Merkushin noted that the center will serve as a “bridge” between the science and the production of advanced spacecraft.

CEO of TsSKB-Progress also noted that the SSAU’s victory in the competition for the subsidies intended for helping Russian universities make the list of the world’s best educational institutions must serve as the motivation for development of the region’s aerospace industry. Alexander Kirilin noted that this achievement would have been impossible without support of the region’s government and the governor. Nikolay Merkushin in his own turn said that 3 billion rubles will be allocated for the SSAU’s development over the next 3 or 4 years and the university must make the best use of these funds.

In addition, the governor asked some questions about the results of work of the region’s aerospace industry in the first half of 2013. Alexander Kirilin said that 10 launches have been performed in the first half of 2013, 3 of them – in June 2013: «A spacecraft was launched from Plesetsk launch site on behalf of the Ministry of Defense. The civil Resurs-P Earth’s remote probing satellite, which provides images in high resolution, was also launched in June».

CEO of TsSKB-Progress also told about the work of Aist satellite, which represents the first step of SSAU in production of light spacecraft. The satellite has been placed into orbit and now it is performing a high-quality Earth gravitational survey. It is controlled by the center located at the territory of TsSKB-Progress. The alternative control center is being created in SSAU in order to give professors and students the opportunity to control the satellite. The second similar satellite will be launched this year.