MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/: Russian space agency Roscosmos filed a lawsuit against its subsidiary, the Progress Rocket and Space Center, for producing a satellite that stopped working in the orbit, Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said on his Facebook page.
"Several years ago, our subsidiary used a rocket that it had manufactured to put into the orbit a satellite that it had also manufactured. Soon, the latter had ‘died’ in the orbit," he wrote. "In line with the current legislation, we are obliged to file a lawsuit in connection with the satellite’s failure."
According to the space official, Roscosmos is obliged to seek compensation for the faulty satellite and the launch services.
In his words, the top management of the space corporation and its subsidiary has since been reshuffled.
"Those guilty left long ago, but we are obliged to punish the enterprise and its current employees for the mistakes committed by people who have not been working at this plant for quite a while," Rogozin said.
He explained that if such a lawsuit is not filed in due time, the top management of Roscosmos will have to stand trial themselves, for failing to properly react to the mistake and the missed opportunities it had entailed.