РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Oleksandr Turchynov: Ukraine is regaining its positions of a missile state

Several weeks ago, we reported on the successful launches of Ukrainian missiles at a military proving ground, and today, on October, 18, at 2:45 AM by Kyiv time, a successful launch of the medium-class upgraded launch vehicle Antares-230 with the Cygnus transport spacecraft was conducted from the Wallops Island (Virginia, USA).

The chief designer of the launch vehicle is an American company Orbital ATK, and the main structure of the first stage launcher was created by domestic space industry enterprises "Yuzhnoye" State Design Office named after M.K. Yangel and PA "Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant named after A.M. Makarov" in cooperation with enterprises "Hartron-ARKOS", "Hartron-UKOM", "CHEZARA", "RAPID" and others.

Over the last year and a half, Ukrainian specialists worked on the modernization of the first stage of the launch vehicle Antares, adapting it to the new engine. The decision to replace the Russian engine, previously used in the rocket, was made in 2014 after the rocket exploded within seconds after the launch due to the problems with the Russian engine. Ukrainian rocket engineers were faced with a unique challenge: to ensure within the shortest time possible the adaptation of the new engine to the rocket designed for a completely different engine. And they succeeded! For the time being, changes in the design of the launch vehicle allowed to increase its energy potential and economic performance significantly.

Congratulations to all those who were involved in this grand project! Ukraine has a lot to be proud of!

Ukraine is regaining its positions of a missile state, rapidly restoring its strategic position in the rocket and missile engineering. We create modern military-missile complexes both to protect our state and the advanced rocket systems for the development of outer space for peaceful purposes.