MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Yury Solomonov, who tendered his resignation from the post of head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering following the latest failed test launch of a Bulava sea-based strategic missile, is expected to continue working on the project as the institute's general designer, a source in Russia's rocket and space sector told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"The institute's management system is being reorganized today. Unlike Solomonov, the same person will no longer simultaneously hold the jobs of both the institute's general director and general designer. Roscosmos (the Russian Federal Space Agency) has already announced a contest among candidates for the post of general director. Its results will be announced on September 14. After this, the firm's general designer will be appointed. Yury Solomonov will most likely keep this post," the source said.
Technical reasons mostly stand behind unsuccessful Bulava tests, he said.
"Since these issues are handled by the general director of the [Bulava] main developer, Solomonov's resignation was quite justified. At the same time, no one questions his undeniable achievements in the development of solid fuel missiles, to which Bulava belongs," the source said.
Specialists are convinced that the latest Bulava failures are not "fatal", the source said.
"The ideas on which this missile is based are generally viewed as effective. That is why it is highly probable that Solomonov will continue working on this promising marine project as well," he added.
A high-ranking source with the Navy's central headquarters said earlier that the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering's efforts to develop Russia's Bulava new sea-based strategic missile system will continue despite the resignation of the enterprise's head Yury Solomonov.
"The Bulava issue remains a key priority. Efforts to adjust it will continue in any case," the source told Interfax-AVN, commenting on Solomonov's resignation.
Holding the combined post of the institute's general director and general designer, Solomonov had to devote much time to organizational issues, which certainly affected the extent of his involvement in tackling development projects, he said.
"We hope that separating the posts of general director and general designer will help improve the organization of production and quality control within the company, which cooperates with more than 600 enterprises," the spokesman said.
The spokesman also said he did not rule out that Solomonov, who has extensive experience in working on projects to develop strategic missile systems, would not quit the institute, but would be involved in development efforts in a different capacity.
"Losing such an excellent designer would be totally undesirable for the Russian defense sector, especially given its present-day condition," he added.
The heavy strategic nuclear submarine Dmitry Donskoi (Project 941) test-fired Russia's Bulava new ballistic missile in the White Sea on July 15. The missile's first stage malfunctioned, and the missile destroyed itself some 20 seconds after it was launched.
It was the eleventh Bulava launch. According to unofficial reports, five of the previous ten launches were described as unsuccessful.