Olexandr Pavlovich KUSHNAROV was born in 1964 in Dmytrivka village of Petropavlovsk district in Dnepropetrovsk region. At school he went through in-depth study of physics and left it with gold medal for his academic achievements. In 1981 he entered the Dnepropetrovsk State University to master the specialty of Aircraft Manufacturing, which he subsequently graduated in 1987.

Between 1987 and 1989 upon graduation from the DSU like majority of young men, Olexandr served in the army, but with one difference – his military service took place on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in one of the subunits, involved in pre-launch processing of the Energia launcher. Just there the young engineer had the opportunity to reinforce his academic knowledge immediately in practice as a witness of the real rocket launches. This fact contributed to acquiring wider experience in the field of rocket technology operation and finally influenced his decision to link his destiny to Yuzhnoye SDO.

In July 1989 Olexandr Kushnarov started his professional life in Yuzhnoye SDO. Since then he rose from the engineer to the First Deputy General Designer – General Director for System Engineering.

O.P. Kushnarov held the positions of Engineer (1989-1991), Second Category Design Engineer (1991-1992), First Category Design Engineer (1992-1996), Lead Engineer (1996-2001), Lead Design Engineer (2001-2002), Group Leader, Sector Leader (2002), Head of Design Department (2002-2005), Head of Design Division (2005-2010), Deputy Chief Designer and Head of DO -1 – Head of Division 1 (2010-2012), First Deputy General Designer – General Director for System Engineering (2012-2020).

By order of the State Space Agency of Ukraine №21-кп of 29.07.2021 Olexandr Pavlovich KUSHNAROV, Yuzhnoye SDO First Deputy General Designer – General Director in Systems Engineering, has been appointed General Director of Yangel Yuzhnoye State Design Office

Olexandr Kushnarov has high level of engineering background and hands-on experience in development of project and design documentation. He was directly involved in upgrading Zenit-2 rocket to integrate it with the US satellites of Globalstar system, more specifically in development and testing of dispenser, a unique system, designed to place 12 spacecraft, each weighing around 500 kg, into the specified orbit and provide their safe separation. He worked on the enhancement of Zenit-3SL payload capabilities, developed payload integration technical documentation under the Sea Launch program, adjusted Zenit-3SL rocket for Land Launch project. He provided general technical management over the project activities under Sea Launch, Land Launch, Cyclone-4, Dnepr, Mayak and Antares programs. He was at the head of the key design efforts of the space and defense technologies, uniting talents and efforts of many thousands of Yuzhnoye SDO employees and over 100 Ukrainian cooperative companies. The team under his leadership made a considerable contribution into development of series of products for the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, specifically, Sapsan missile system.

Covering this long way from the very start enabled him to acquire comprehensive understanding of management at the system level and set of knowledge on how to manage the processes of rocket and space technology development.

O.P. Kushnarov has acquired considerable experience in the company’s foreign economic activities in the position of the First Deputy General Director – General Designer, gaining him high reputation of the key specialist and manager among the multitude of foreign customers. So far the geography of Yuzhnoye SDO activities spreads across the majority of spacefaring countries and countries, striving to join the selected club of such countries. Nowadays he focuses his attention on the development of the foreign economic activities of the company with the numerous foreign partners.

A lot of attention is also paid by O.P. Kushnarov to the development of the branch sciences, interaction with major national and foreign scientific institutions, introduction of the advanced manufacturing technologies and materials, enhancement of the marketability of the company products, issues of import substitution, grouping new market outlets to distribute company’s products and services, developing one of a kind high-technology and competitive models of the aerospace and defense technology.

O.P. Kushnarov is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics (2015), co-author of the six inventions (useful models) of Ukraine, three applications for patents of Ukraine and one inventor’s certificate of the USSR, author to many scientific publications and articles on the rocket and space technologies.

Honored worker of Ukrainian space industry (2011), Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers prize winner (2013), winner of the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science & technology (2019). For the progress in work he was decorated with Yuzhnoye’s

Progress in rocket & space technology development badge, Medal for Merit (2019).

Married with two kids – son and daughter.

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