* Astronomy

Russia will start implementing its most ambitious space program in decades next year.
And the program has started with the reform of the country's leading company in the sector, the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation.

At a May 30 shareholders general meeting, it was decided to relieve 70-year-old Yury Semyonov, Energia's president and general designer, of his duties and make Nikolai Sevastyanov, 44, the new president. Until recently, he had worked for a Gazprom division that developed communications satellites with Energia.
Although Energia has maintained its position as a global leader in recent years, the corporation has not operated at a profit, hence Semyonov's removal.

In two decades, space exploration has been transformed from a sector whose results were said to be in the future, to an essential part of the economy, which as it should be. And the state's space exploration has a clear economic foundation.
Judging by Sevastyanov's comments, the corporation's new strategy will be pragmatic and advocates of manned spacecraft and automatic probes will no longer be on different sides of the barricades.

"We are in a transitional phase. A new, industrial, phase of space exploration is gradually coming, which is why we should focus on projects society needs." - Nikolai Sevastyanov
Long-term projects, such as development of deposits on the Moon, and the production of helium-3, which produces absolutely clean energy in thermonuclear reactions, could be started on the Moon in 15-20 years, (many skeptics think 25 - 30 years is more realistic).

"Energia has every opportunity to compete aggressively on the international communication and observation satellite markets."
Sevastyanov wants to focus on project management when it comes to the economic side of the corporation. "Many economic structures are opting for this method. But the space sector has always waited for state orders saying, 'We'll get money, and we'll live on it.' But a commercial company must work independently on the market, even where it is not expected."

Energia has already set its sights on close international cooperation, primarily on the International Space Station (ISS) program.

Alexander Medvedchikov, the deputy director of the Federal Space Agency, told a June 7 Internet briefing that international contracts would be honoured despite the recent Energia reorganization. "The state will act as the guarantor of many commitments under international agreements and projects, particularly the International Space Station. The Federal Space Agency guarantees other contracts. And we have never let our international partners down."

Judging by everything the officials said, the Russian space sector, which has huge scientific and engineering resources, is finally about to adopt advanced management practices.