A new experimental design bureau will be created at the Central Research Institute of Machine-Building (TsNIImash), the main scientific and research institution of Russia’s space corporation Roscosmos, a source in the rocket and space industry told TASS on Wednesday.

"According to the Roscosmos head’s decree, an experimental design bureau named after [Italian-born Soviet aircraft designer Robert] Bartini is being created. Its first task will be to design light-class reusable rockets," the source said.

He added that the project would be based on the preliminary design of the Krylo-SV (Wing) project to create a recoverable rocket stage, earlier prepared by the Prospective Research Fund (FPI).

The bureau will employ young Roscosmos specialists and engineers who resigned from the Ilyushin Aviation Complex.

On Tuesday, a defense industry source told TASS that about 80 employees resigned from Ilyushin. A company spokesperson later told TASS that a group of managers and administrative sector employees were leaving their posts due to ongoing optimization of the management system.