On February 18, 2021, Yuzhnoye State Design Office and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute held a very productive meeting.

At the meeting, the parties discussed deepening of cooperation in several areas.  Before the discussion, the guests observed the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Space program and other space and defense projects carried out or already completed by the University. The guests also got acquainted with the Innovation Ecosystem “Sikorsky Challenge”.

Acting General Director of Yuzhnoye State Design Office Alexander Kushnarev, Chief Designer Head of Spacecraft, Measuring Systems and Telecommunications Konstantin Bilousov, Rector of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Michael Zgurovsky, Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs Vitaliy Pasichnyk, Chief Designer of the Special Design Bureau “Shtorm” Serhii Puha, Head of laboratory soto-panel structures and nanosatellite technologies Borys Rassamakin attended the meeting.

Yuzhnoye SDO and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute have been cooperating for a long time. However, some aspects of current University activities have become new for the guests and interested them. 

 The guests paid very attention to the modern test-bench facilities of the Faculty of Heat and Power Engineering. The bench has been designed for testing small satellites. It simulates space conditions - vacuum, low temperatures, external influences of the Sun and Earth.  The leaders in the space industry of Ukraine have taken an interest in the festival of innovative projects “Sikorsky Challenge”. The festival gives a chance to work in many directions and provides participants and winners with new development opportunities.

 ‘I must admit that Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute is ahead of us in terms of innovation, search, and development of new areas.  Now our objectives are to intensify the development processes in Yuzhnoye SDO, to optimize our structure. Therefore, we would gladly get acquainted with your experience and your achievements.  I hope that shortly our specialists will also communicate with their colleagues from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in many areas related to spacecraft, inertial navigation systems, calculations for space rockets, defense developments.  I realized that we have much more opportunities for cooperation than we had previously thought,’ said Alexander Kushnarev while discussing possible joint projects.

Konstantin Bilousov figured out the most prospective scopes of cooperation between Yuzhnoye SDO and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The joint projects include thermostable constructions and thermal stabilization in general. There is also a problem of spacecraft payload, both optical for remote sensing of the Earth and non-optical. The parties can work on integration systems of spacecraft subsystems and on new developments in new materials and others.  He stressed that Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute researchers can use the company's experimental testing base and production facilities.

 ‘It is high time to turn our relations and cooperation into a strategic partnership. Yuzhnoye SDO is a leading world-class company in rocketry. Besides, it is now starting to deal with satellites. The company should become the engine in these areas. And we will, of course, help and cooperate with you in those areas in which we have already gained some competitive opportunities.  First of all, it includes research and design-technological support of developments - the activity in which we have both skills and experience,’ said Michael Zgurovsky. ‘Therefore, we will be happy to provide you with our opportunities. At the same time, we will use yours.  Of course, we need to update our cooperation agreement adding several provisions and areas of work.  After all, some of the issues we have discussed today go far beyond of the agreement. Therefore, Michael Zgurovsky offered to work clauses of the new agreement and, in general, specific areas of cooperation and current issues at the level of specialists in communication mode and during the following meetings.

 The next large-scale joint project of the Yuzhnoye SDO and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic specialists will be the launch of two Ukrainian spacecraft - the Sich-2-1 satellite (developed within the National Target Scientific and Technical Space Program of Ukraine), and the nanosatellite PolyITAN-3 (created by Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic researchers). As Vitaliy Pasichnyk stated, it would be dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine.

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