Dear colleagues, comrades, friends, esteemed veterans!

Our team, which was a pioneer in the domestic rocket technology and
world space science, from the day the company was founded (throughout
its history from Department 3 to S.P. Korolev RSC Energia) has always
been and remains one of the universally recognized leaders in this high-tech
area of human endeavor.

Celebrating our 55th anniversary on August 26, 2001, we can and must
be proud of the fact that 40 years ago we prepared and accomplished
the flights of the Earth’s first envoys to space – Yuri Gagarin and
German Titov – and, having traveled a most difficult part of the road
of manned exploration of space over all these years, we have gained
experience and knowledge which are now being called upon in the new
long-term space program of the International Space Station.

This became possible through our adherence to traditions established
more than half a century ago by the founder of our company Sergei Pavlovich
Korolyev, traditions that include ensuring the highest reliability of
rocket and space technology, an integrated approach to highly complex
scientific, technological and engineering problems, search for new solutions,
dedicated creative work, perfectionism, and continuity of generations.
It is this adherence to the traditions that is the foundation of our
outstanding achievements and recognition of the Corporation as a world
leader in the development and operation of manned spacecraft, vehicles
for putting spacecraft into orbit, various specialized satellite systems,
as well as in applying advanced space technologies to the manufacturing
of products for non-space applications.

All our achievements over that time, especially over the period of 1996-2001,
which was, in many regards, the most difficult period when the company
met its commitments towards the state and international partners in
a step-by-step orderly way while being chronically underfunded, owe
to dedicated work of all our employees who have a tremendous experience
in overcoming problems and addressing the most difficult issues inherent
in the development and implementation of many large-scale space programs
which include an all-purpose rocket-and-space transportation system
"Energia-Buran", rocket-and-space system Sea Launch, space
stations of the Salyut type, and, finally, a one-of-a-kind space station
Mir, which, during its unprecedented 15 years of operation became an
international scientific laboratory and a facility for training highly-skilled
specialists not only for the Russian space industry, but for many other
countries as well.

The successes of our company were born and supported through participation
of tens of thousands of workers of many subcontractors within the industry
who have contributed and continue to make a worthy contribution to the
design, development, testing and operation of both the rocket-and-space
technology products, and products for non-space applications.

On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Corporation and on behalf
of the company’s management I extend my words of sincere appreciation
to all our employees and subcontractors who, during the times of political
and economic upheavals, have always been very understanding of the problems
with providing the technical and financial support for the work being
done.

On this memorable day let me extend to all of you, dear friends and
comrades, my deep gratitude for your work and creative search for solutions
to the most difficult problems not only in the fields of science, technology,
production, financing, economy, safety support for the work that is
being done, personnel management, intellectual property protection,
but also in the housing construction, health care and social services.

I wish all the company’s employees and esteemed veterans robust health,
happiness, new successes in your creative work, financial well-being,
overcoming the problems and difficulties of the current period.

I congratulate you on this 55th anniversary which is significant not
only for our staff, but also for all those who are striving to preserve
the manned space flight industry in Russia. Let the most daring projects
of our celebrated team – the team of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia – be successfully
implemented in the name of Mankind’s progress!

President and Designer General of

S.P.Korolev RSC Energia,

Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences