Project news

Agust 27 through September 1 the town of Zhukovsky near Moscow hosted the 11^th Internation Air and Space Show MAKS-2013.

This year the weather wasn’t very good for flying and spending one’s day off in an airfield under the rain may not exactly be considered much fun, the air show was nevertheless visited by more than 350 thousand people.

Purpose and content  

The International Air and Space Show MAKS at Zhukovsky is one of the world’s largest aerospace forums, aimed at showing the latest achievements of the Russian and world’s aerospace industry, at fostering business contacts and industrial cooperation. A prominent position in the MAKS program is held by scientific conferences and workshops, providing scientists and specialists with an opportunity to exchange their opinions on the most pressing development issues of today's aerospace.

Always of great interest were flight demonstrations of Russian and foreign flying machines, where our pilots traditionally show their great skill. MAKS is distinguished not only by its substance, but also by its visual appeal. MAKS is an airshow, which attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. There are regular performances by aerobatic teams both from Russia (Russian Knights, The Swifts, etc.) and abroad (Patrouille de France, Frecce Tricolori, etc.). In the words of the visitors, MAKS is in a certain way similar to a picnic: the visitors lie on the grass, with barbecue and refreshing drinks in abundance.

However, it is not in the spectacular aerobatics that lies the real substance of MAKS-2013. The representatives of 44 countries that gathered here were making agreements and signing contracts. The sum total of the latter is estimated at more than US$20 billion, out of which three-fourths fall on our country’s aircraft makers.

РКК "Энергия" на МАКСе

S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia and academician V.P. Glushko NPO Energomash, for which the Corporation was designated as the managing company, were exhibiting in one booth within the framework of the exposition presented by companies and organizations of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos). On August 27, the Roscosmos exhibition hall and its section prepared by RSC Energia was visited by the Russian Federation Prime Minister D.A. Medvedev. In the course of his visit he saw the mockup of the new manned transportation spacecraft, and also a communcations session was held between Dmitri Medvedev and cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station. The joint exhibition stand prepared by the two leading companies of our country’s rocket and space industry, was a continuous focus of attention for a great number of visitors, among whom there were representatives of business circles, managers and specialists from aviation and space companies of Russia and other countries, scientists, students from Russian and foreign universities, journalists, veterans of the industry, aerospace aficionados. Visitors of the air show were interested in small scale models of the International Space Station, Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander  vessel of the Sea Launch project, the liquid propellant engines RD-171, RD-180 and RD-191; in the life-size mockup of the first artificial Earth satellite (Sputnik); in the descent module of the crew spacecraft Soyuz TMA, which had been to space.

All the visitors to the booth showed particular interest in the full-scale design and layout mockup of the re-entry vehicle of the new-generation manned transportation spacecraft and some elements of its structure.

Explanations to the visitors to the exhibit were given by managers and leading specialists of the company, translators and cosmonauts.

Representatives of the RSC Energia top management held a number of business meetings at the air show with senior managers and specialists of Russian and foreign companies and partner organizations. Discussed at these meetings were the issues involved in the current and future work on the development, operation and use of the rocket and space technology, and the ways of mutually beneficial cooperation were outlined. Agreements have been signed to develop cooperation between Russian and foreign companies and organizations.

See also http://www.energia.ru/en/news/news-2013/news_08-27.html

Background

From its inception, aviation has always enjoyed a top priority status in Russia. The first international air show was held in our country in 1911 in Mikhailovsky Training Ground at Saint-Petersburg. 22 years later, August 18 was made USSR Air Fleet Day and it was ever since celebrated with aerobatic shows in the airfield in Tushino.  

The first air show in Zhukovsky in front of the TsAGI Engineering Facility was held in 1990. After the breakup of the Soviet Union the airmen moved to Zhukovsky for good, where, in 1992, on the basis of the Gromov Institute for Flight Research, an International Aerospace Show MosAeroShow-92 was held August 11 through 16.  

In 1993 per instructions from Russian President B.N.Yeltsin, designated as the sole location for holding international aerospace shows were the premises of the Gromov Institute for Flight Research. The show was given its official name and status as the International Air and Space Show MAKS.

MAKS-1993 was held August 31 through September 5 at three locations at once: in Zhukovsky, on the Moscow’s central airfield Khodynka Aerodrome, and at the expo center in Presnya district of Moscow. Taking part in the air show were more than 178 companies from CIS countries and 82 companies from abroad. The number of visitors to the show exceeded 400 thousand.

Preparations for and conduct of MAKS-97 and MAKS-97 involved participation of Russia’s top leadership. The organizing committee did a lot of preparatory work to preserve on the basis of the Institute for Flight Research a modern exhibition area and its technical infrastructure meeting high international standards. New exhibition halls were built, bringing their total number to 40, and their total floor area to 24500 square meters, and 160000 square meters of outdoor exhibition areas were put into operation, 24 chalets for talks with a flour area totaling 2400 square meters and a press center were constructed, access roads were improved.

The organizers of the show are the Federal Agency for Industry (until 2009), Government of Moscow (2009) and OAO Aviasalon.

 MAKSes in figures.

Among foreign countries the most well-represented were: USA, France, Germany, Czech Republic, UK. Also taking part in the air shows were Switzerland, Canada, Slovakia, Malaysia, India, Turkey, Korea, etc.. Among CIS countries, very active were companies from Ukraine.