OKB-10

Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems traces its roots back to 1959 when it was founded as an eastern branch of Sergey Korolev’s OKB-1 in Krasnoyarsk-26 (now Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region). Mikhail Reshetnev, who was a follower and a close associate of Korolev, was appointed head of the new company.

Initially the fledging company started off with design supervision of ballistic missiles, but as early as in the 1960s it embarked upon developing a light-lift launch vehicle of the Cosmos series and small communications satellites. Since then the company has been specializing in the design and manufacture of satellites for a wide range of applications. ISS-Reshetnev became the first Russian company to develop low-orbiting, navigation and geodetic, direct broadcasting and data-relay satellites. Even today the Siberian company still remains unparalleled in many fields of Russia’s domestic market.

During Korolev’s time, OKB-1 had three branches. Branch No. 1 was the territory of TsNII-58, which was transferred to OKB-1 in 1959. Branch No. 2 was created in Krasnoyarsk and Branch No. 3 in Kuybyshev (now Samara). The latter two branches eventually became independent rocket-space organizations. The first chiefs of the branches during Korolev’s lifetime were his deputies Chertok, Reshetnev, and Kozlov, respectively.

From 1961 through 1965, research and development (NIOKR) was conducted on space communications systems. The first launch of the Molniya-1 experimental satellite took place in June 1964. In 1967, after seven launches and after the space communication system was put into operation, subsequent operations were handed over to OKB-10, which was located in Krasnoyarsk-26, the closed city of atomic scientists.

Branch No. 2 was formed in 1958 at the initiative of Korolev to set up production of R-11M (8A61) tactical missiles for the ground forces. OKB-1 Deputy Chief Designer Mikhail Reshetnev, the missile’s lead designer, was appointed chief of Branch No. 2.33 In 1961, Branch No. 2 became the independent OKB-10, which was located in Krasnoyarsk-26, the closed city of atomic scientists. Reshetnev was placed in charge of OKB-10 and became its chief designer. In 1966, OKB-1 handed over its work on the Molniya-1 communications satellite and all work related to communications satellites to OKB-10. OKB-10, subsequently the Scientific-Production Association of Applied Mechanics (NPO PM), became the nation’s primary developer of communication and navigation satellites.

The time period between 1959 and 1970 was marked by the company’s efforts to define its specialization and can be generally referred to as ‘formative years’. The fledging company started off with design supervision of the R-14 missile which had been developed by OKB-586 of Dnepropetrovsk led by Mikhail Yangel and later went into production at the Krasnoyarsk Machine Building Plant. The first Siberian ballistic missile R-14 was launched from the Kapustin Yar site in mid-January 1962.

The first space project that OKB-10 (that became the new name of the company when it was reorganized into an independent design bureau in 1961) was fully in charge of was the development of a light-lift launch vehicle of the Cosmos family. It was derived from the operational R-14 missile design. The company made a name for itself on August 18, 1964 with a successful launch of a Cosmos-3 launch vehicle that placed three experimental satellites Cosmos-38, -39, -40 into designated orbits. Three days later two communications satellites of the Strela-1 series (Cosmos-42 and Cosmos-43) developed by the Reshetnev team were successfully launched from Kapustin Yar. That day proved to be a turning point since Siberia became the place where not only rockets but also satellites were born.

Starting from the mid-1960s, OKB-10 concentrated its efforts on the manufacture of the most powerful satellites at that time – Molniya-1 series intended for highly elliptical orbits. Three Molniya-1 satellites were launched into space in 1967. Satellites of this type were part of the world’s first communications and television broadcasting network based on satellites in highly elliptical orbits.

In parallel with the Molniya-1 program, the company was busy developing satellites for navigation and geodetic applications. The year 1967 saw the first launch of a Tsiklon satellite which was intended for navigation and communication needs. The year 1968, in its turn, was marked by the launch of the first soviet geodetic satellite Sfera.