Kathrine Frich
CEO Igor Maltsev warned staff of “multi-million dollar debts”
CEO Igor Maltsev warned staff of “multi-million dollar debts”.
RKK Energia Faces Collapse After 79 Years
One of the most important companies in Russia’s space program, RKK Energia, is now close to bankruptcy.
The company builds the Soyuz spacecraft and Progress cargo ships that transport cosmonauts and supplies into orbit.
Its CEO, Igor Maltsev, admitted in a leaked statement that the situation is “so dire” the company may be shut down.
Soyuz and Progress Show Their Age
For decades, Soyuz and Progress have been seen as reliable workhorses.
They carry cosmonauts to the International Space Station and deliver supplies.
But these designs date back to the Cold War and have never been successfully replaced with modern alternatives.
Russia has struggled to develop new spacecraft while others, like SpaceX, push ahead.
Debts and Dysfunction Eat Away at Energia
CEO Igor Maltsev warned staff of “multi-million dollar debts” and loan interest draining the company’s budget.
He said many processes are inefficient, and morale among workers has collapsed.
“A significant portion of the team has lost motivation and a sense of responsibility,” he wrote.
“Stop Lying to Ourselves” CEO Admits
In his leaked note, Maltsev urged brutal honesty about the company’s future.
“It’s essential to stop lying to ourselves and others about the current state of affairs and convincing ourselves that we’re doing just fine,” he warned.
His words mark a rare public admission of failure inside Russia’s space sector.
Failures Pile Up in Russia’s Space Program
The problems at Energia mirror recent disasters in Russia’s wider space efforts.
The military satellite Kosmos-2553 was lost.
The Luna-25 lander, meant to mark Russia’s grand return to the Moon, instead crashed into its surface.
These failures show a program stuck in the past while others test new technologies.
America’s Failures Bring Progress, Russia’s Do Not
Maltsev pointed out the difference between Russia and its rivals.
While the U.S. has also seen rocket disasters, those usually come while testing new ideas.
For example, the Starship launch failures have been part of rapid progress.
Russia, by contrast, is losing old spacecraft despite decades of experience.
“Decades of Achievements Wasted”
Maltsev ended his message with a stark judgment.
“The achievements created by Sergei Pavlovich (Korolev) and developed by our main designers, Mishin, Glushko, Semyonov, have been wasted today,” he wrote.
For many, this sounded like an obituary for Russia’s space legacy.
A Blow to Russia’s Space Ambitions
If Energia collapses, Russia would lose its main provider of crewed and cargo spacecraft.
That would cripple its ability to support missions to the International Space Station and threaten its plans for future exploration.
The fall of Energia could signal the end of Russia’s dominance in spaceflight.
