January 28 is the 80th anniversary from the date of birth of Anatoliy Markovich Podolinniy, the outstanding ballistician, who headed design and theoretical division of Yuzhnoye SDO for 20 years.

Anatoliy Podolinniy was born in Nikopol in 1940. In 1961 he graduated from physics and technology faculty of Dnepropetrovsk State University in the specialty of Mechanics. Having arrived to YSDO as a student, he immediately proved himself, having successfully defined the fueling batch for the developed rocket. In 1961-1977 he worked as an engineer, then senior engineer, group leader in the department of ballistics, in 1978-1987 he headed this department, and in 1987 he was appointed the head of design and theoretical division of Yuzhnoye SDO.

Anatoliy Podolinniy is the author of techniques and manuals to evaluate the payload capabilities of ballistic missiles based on results of full-scale test launches, and to define the optimum rules for engagement by multistage re-entry vehicles. He has contributed considerably to solving the scientific and technical problems of ballistics, dynamics, aerodynamics, gas-dynamics, heat-mass exchange as applied to combat missile complexes R-36, R-36M and RT-23 both ground- and railroad-based, as well as space complexes Cyclone and Zenit. Organizer and manager of operations under the Sea Launch international space program in terms of ballistic support, launch dynamics, aerodynamics and heat-mass exchange. Carried out methodical and organizational-engineering management of operations to develop the ballistic-navigational support of Sich spacecraft. The author of nine inventions. Lenin Komsomol prize winner (1970) and USSR State prize winner (1991), bearer of the order of Badge of Honor (1969) and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1976), an Order of Merit of III, II, I Class (1997, 2000, 2004). He was awarded with Yangel (2006) and Pilyugin (2008) medals of the Federation of Cosmonautics of Russian Federation.

Being an excellent manager, A.M. Podolinniy managed to preserve the team of design and theoretical division during the hard times when following the collapse of the USSR the state orders grew small, salary essentially reduced, and Yuzhnoye was overwhelmed with employee turnover. At that time, the area of the enterprise activities has also radically changed, and design and theoretical division faced absolutely new challenges. Employees of the division learnt to calculate not the range and accuracy of the missile travel, but parameters of injection into the specified orbits, long-term flight in the atmosphere with maneuvers, high accuracy provision without the inertial guidance facilities and many other things. And through all this the team of division, headed by Anatoliy Podolinniy, has come through with flying colours, having wholly mastered the new area of activities and having preserved human resources.

Even having retired in 2007, Anatoliy Markovich remained actively involved in the life of the native enterprise, invited his former colleagues to his place to discuss various production problems. These meetings helped a lot all the team to adjust to complicated circumstances, to tackle different tasks.

Yuzhnoye SDO employees remember the outstanding ballistician. Colleagues of Anatoliy Markovich cherish the memory of his bold initiatives, visionary leadership and human treatment of people.