Semenov, Yuri Pavlovich

Russian engineer. General Designer of RKK Energia 1989 to 2005

Yuri Semenov was an engineer with good management abilities and good connections - he was the son-in-law of Politburo ideology chief Andrei Kirilenko. When the time came for the collaborative project with the 'enemy' Chelomei design bureau for the L1 circumlunar spacecraft, Semenov was selected to manage the project. This failed to send a man around the moon before the Americans, but clearly demonstrated Semenov's ability to work well with other design bureaus. The Salyut space station was conceived to beat the American Skylab into space. This again involved a collaboration with the Chelomei bureau and Semenov was the natural choice to manage it. The program eventually led to a successful series of Salyut and Mir space stations that constituted the only Soviet manned space project after the late 1970's. After Glushko died in 1989, Semenov was named General Designer of RKK Energia. He continued to manage the firm until 'deposed' under protest in Putin's consolidation of the aerospace industry in 2005.