page_title: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center / Production
caption_attribution_description: English: The launch of the Zvezda service module of the International Space Station on a Russian Proton-K rocket.
context_page_description: The Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is a Moscow-based manufacturer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets, and the Russian modules of Mir and the International Space Station.
  The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow. It soon switched production to airplanes and during World War II produced Ilyushin Il-4 and Tupolev Tu-2 bombers. A design bureau, OKB-23, was added to the company in 1951. In 1959, the company started developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, and later spacecraft and space launch vehicles. The company designed and produced all Soviet space stations, including Mir.
  OKB-23, renamed to Salyut Design Bureau, became an independent company in 1988. In 1993, the Khrunichev Plant and the Salyut Design Bureau were joined again to form Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. In the 1990s, the company entered the International Launch Services joint-venture to market launches on its Proton rocket. Khrunichev subsequently became a successful launch service provider on the international space launch market.
context_section_description: Khrunichev's main product is the Proton rocket, which has been launched more than 350 times since its creation in 1968. Latest version of the venerable rocket, which has been subject to several incremental upgrades, is Proton-M Enhanced; it has a lifting capability of 6,150 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. For use as Proton's upper stage, Khrunichev produces Briz-M, which first flew in 2000. Rockot, a converted ballistic missile, is offered for launching smaller payloads. For international marketing of Rockot launches, Khrunichev has created the joint-venture Eurockot GmbH. Another version of the Briz-M upper stage, Briz-KM, is used as Rockot's third stage.
  In 2009, the company manufactured a total of 25 launch vehicles, upper stage boosters and spacecraft, while in 2005 the figure was 11. In 2010, Khrunichev aims to raise the figure to 30.
  A record 15 rockets were launched by the company in 2009. In 2008, the company was responsible for lofting every third kilogram of the world's combined satellite payload.
caption: Proton rocket manufactured by Khrunichev
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