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Lax Security At Russian Rocket Plant
theshowmecanuck writes "Reuters reports that there is little or no security at one of the main factories in Russia responsible for military and Soyuz rocket manufacture. Blogger Lana Sator was able to walk right into the empty (off hours) facility through huge gaps in the fences that no-one bothered to repair, and there was no security to stop them aside from some dogs that didn't bother them either. In fact Lana even has one picture of herself posing next to an apparently non-functional security camera, another of her sitting on what looks like to be possibly a partially assembled rocket motor (someone who knows better can fill us in), and has about 100 photos of the escapade all told on her blog about this (it's in Russian... which I don't speak... any translators out there?). Russian officials are said to be deeply concerned. I wonder if this has any bearing on why Russian rockets haven't been making it into space successfully, or whether it and the launch failures are all part of some general industrial malaise that is taking place."
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Flana-sator.livejournal.com%2F160176.html%23cutid1&act=url
another of her sitting on what looks like to be possibly a partially assembled rocket motor
Have gnu, will travel.
... and probably won't see ever again in the future.
Sorry, sometimes it's so sad you get jaded.
They're making these things as cheaply as possible. Know what happens when you do that? #1: Shit doesn't work as well as it should. #2: Repairs to things that aren't mandatory, like security systems and fences, they don't happen.
This is exactly the same problem that's existed in any big beauracracy since the beginning of time.
e.g. read how Feynman irked the guards at Los Alamos by leaving the secure area 5 times without entering.
The beauracracy spends so much effort putting on a show at guarding the official entrances and any other place you might leave or enter? It can't even fit into the minds of the security guys.
I imagine that the sophisticated espionage types who want to abscond with your rocket-building expertise(for competitive purposes, or because you aren't selling toys to their nation state of choice) probably aren't stopped by fences and dogs. If they are really serious, you've already hired them and they just walk in the front door every morning. If that is your concern, the prison-camp props probably aren't a huge deal.
I am somewhat surprised, though, that they haven't had a greater incentive to repair the fence and put together something resembling a night watch for reasons of simple theft. Rocket surgery presumably involves some expensive tools, and big piles of parts and stock in various rather pricey metals and alloys. If your security is so fantastic that bored bloggers are wandering in, I'm amazed that the whole operation hasn't been melted down at the nearest scrapyard of loose morals...
Why is Los Angeles Airport's security at a Russian rocket plant?!?
There needs to be an investigation!
They think people are generally pretty decent and no one is going to come and steal their rockets.
This OMGWTFTERRORISTS mentality is thankfully not yet universal.
The Washington Post (reg required) just had a good report on how Russia's scientific base has changed for the worse. Apparently, the labs are populated with a bimodal mix of young and elderly scientists -- the middle has been hollowed out over the last two decades. And while a new funding push has sent money towards science, much of it is wasted through corruption:
In Russia, the lost generation of science
I frequently walk in out-of-the-way places in Wales and Scotland and have often been suprised to round a bend and come across places where I simply should not be. However, I don't take photos or do anything to attract attention. I simply have a 'hmmm' moment or two, then quietly turn round and walk back the way I came.
Shouldn't this be appraised as the first crowdsourced space program? And look how cute and friendly the puppies are! No full body scans either!
This looks pretty vacant to me. Here the location on google maps:
Khimki, Russia
A little wikipedia research tells you that this is the old OKB-456 development and test facility for the RD-100 engine, a predecessor of the modern RD-107 engines. the plant was build right after WWII to build a copy of the german V2 rocket and probably has not been used for years. Todays Sojus rockets fly with the RD-107 or with its upgrades RD-117 and RD-118. These are produced by NPO energomash in samara at this location:
Progress Plant, Samara
This was a 5 min research, so I could be wrong.
This is not a "plant" where rockets or parts would be assembled. It is just a testing facility where new rocket engine designs can be mounted and studied. It provides a system for dealing with high-temperature engine exaust, which, naturally, is a problem if one wants to monitor the engine in a laboratory conditions. It also provides some measures to deal with test failures, mainly a fire-extinguishing system and blast doors. Apart from that, it is just another low-security building and there's nothing interesting there when no tests are being conducted. It has nothing to do with the actual rocket assembly. Just one big test stand.
It's funny how this is an article about "lack of security" and not "cool photos of rocket plant".
Americans..... just can't stand when people aren't being groped by a security guard.
Yeah! Lana is freaking James Bond! Anna Chapman, Natalie Portman, and all the others are just silly bit actresses while Lana's got the infiltration plus hardware shots to prove her mettle with The Power. And Reuters takes note. Dig on those photos!
You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
She's sitting in the socket into which the rocket motor is plugged. The motor is lowered through the doors in the ceiling and conected to the fuel and power lines in the socket. The big round red lid covers the exhaust pipe, which leads outside into that huge tower in the middle of the complex. And as for the security camera, there is no mention of it being broken. Lana says it's likely used to monitor the tests. Since there was no motor in the building at the time, there isn't much reason to watch it. Yeah, sure, there might be sabotage, but I doubt anybody would bother. General vandalism is the most likely threat and those kind of people aren't too keen on trudging a mile through the snow to get to the hole in the fence. Same goes for stealing metal and stuff; people will do it, but they probably won't bother if they have to haul it that far.
The really strange thing in all these pictures is there are not Chairs and almost no tables. I think this might be an abandoned site.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
I think that will be more obvious then just 1 person snooping around.
That's exactly what I thought of too when I saw this picture from the blog: http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4527/33213654.de/0_71e4b_3688f347_XXL.jpg> http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/4527/33213654.de/0_71e4b_3688f347_XXL.jpg
stop wasting everyones time saying this plant is defunct or vacant. look at the pictures, the water in the tower one day and not the other. or look at their website where they specifically list the plant as a mailing address. http://www.npoenergomash.ru/eng/about/room/
For display room of the enterprise visiting the letter with the request for visiting by group of employees of the organization (pupils of school or institute, etc.) with the indication of desirable time for visiting is necessary to send to address of the general director. It is necessary to apply the list of group to the letter with the indication of passport data (for minor schoolboys - only the list of group). Such letter should arrive in NPO ENERGOMASH 1-2 weeks prior to date of visiting for groups of citizens of the Russian Federation, for groups with foreign citizens - 2,5 months prior to date of visiting. Final time and date of visiting will be agreeed in the working order by employees of a display room by phone with the contact person of the organization (schools, etc.) specified in the letter.
Information by phones: (495) 572-76-49; (495) 777-27-27, fax (495) 777-21-36.
Address of the enterprise: 141400 Khimki Moscow area, street Burdenko, 1.
"Lax Security" is pretty much everywhere.
USA: Genuine NASA motor:
http://www.ninjito.com/images/2007-01-25/qx-door-3.jpg
Russia, particle colliders:
http://www.ninjito.com/2008-08-24/qx-collider-1.jpg
France, air tunnels
http://www.ninjito.com/_2010-05-07/qx-xx-4.jpg
USA, a certain famous bridge in NYC
http://www.ninjito.com/images/2009-10-07-NYC/qx-b-1.jpg
The only reason this never comes to public attention is because generally, the people that do it don't want public attention.
Used to be that ordinary Russians marveled at American openness, but now it's the other way round! You'll get arrested for taking a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
Hah! Me too. Although the overall feel was more Half-Lifish IMO. Looks like it could be a model for an interesting FPS level/design.
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don't care that you're not here with me
Backed up the web page and images.
Well, at least one picture shows a recent-looking label with "18.05.12", which looks to me like a due date for next inspection or something like that...
Of course it always could be something else entirely.
What the Romans called barbarians were all the people who didn't speak a language they new, and often them had more advanced technology. Romans understood the power of roads, and were very good at large stone construction and military construction, but in general their tech level was not very high. The barbarians didn't go out and occupy the land as the Romans left, they were already there all along.
Yes, you are probably correct, this is the next inspection date. But so what? It does not change the fact that the installation in question is a large test stand, by far the largest part of which is the system that deals with rocket engine's exaust. Again, it's whole point is to provide a "socket" where you plug an engine prototype in - it is the large tunnel closed by the red lid here: http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3008/33213654.de/0_71e50_3a09f837_XXL.jpg - as you can guess, it is close to impossible to do anything with the engine when it's working and the exhaust stream is not safely isolated from the environment and removed from the lab. On the opposite side of the exhaust socket there's the fixture which is used to supply fuel and whatnot to the engine that's being tested. The gates through which the engine is being delivered to the lab are also shown on one of the other pictures. So, no assembly takes place there, only testing. And, as far as my understanding goes, the engines being tested on that site have nothing to do with the production units that are mounted on rockets. Thus saying "look how desolated it is" and something like that is the same as saying "look how desolated GM Crash Testing Site is, no wonder their cars suck" and suchlike.
Barbarians with more advanced technology ðan Romans? Now you have my attention, please provide any references.
Actually, what really set apart Romans (including Greeks and oðer subjects of ðe empire) was a civic superstructure, not any technology; but ðat superstructure sure had technological implications. Only, at ðe time, ðe military aspect was more important ðan ðe technological one.
Barbarians were not ðere all along, but ðey were already occupying parts of the empire, particularly around ðe borders, as Romans not left, but dwindled away due to lack of fertility, just as with our civilisation now. Ðe parallels are stunning.
Leandro Guimarães Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin
Barbarians were not ðere all along, but ðey were already occupying parts of the empire, particularly around ðe borders, as Romans not left, but dwindled away due to lack of fertility, just as with our civilisation now. Ðe parallels are stunning.
How are they not there, if they are in fact occupying?
And not particularly around the borders, it would be more accurate to say, most of the people inside the Empire's borders, and everybody outside of it.
jezus, add a few zombies and imps, and you essentially got Doom 3
novaya gazeta recently had a story where they interviewed some actual technicians who work at actual rocket factories.
basically the problem is that the managers are too focused on money, and the quality is slipping as a result.
the quality assurance measures that used to be in place have been stopped and deemed too costly.
I've walked into facilities who have absolutely no security in the US, France, Germany and the UK which would be considered important to the nation. Defense contractors who keep their backdoor open all day and a false sense of security with a locked front door and to facilities with no secretary and doors open all day long, you can waltz in, take what you want, and no one will notice, they'll think you work there or you're an outside contractor. Hell, even with a secretary, they just let you in without question. And to those who say they have "security" that there's no way that happens, I probably was already through your entire building without notifying anyone during one of your new installations in the building. You're part of the joke.
Hell, I was at the Boeing plant in Long Beach where they build the C-17, and I just waltzed right into there without any questions from anyone, all that security they have there is a joke.
The only reason no one blogs about it or posts pictures of these issues because they'll probably lose their jobs or not work with said companies ever again. Or they just simply don't care like me.
This attitude is typical through out the world, not just Russians. Just that the Russians allowed it to overtake them that everyone is doing it on a regular basis that no one cares to belittle them about it.
The Soyuz rocket family is now 45 years old, and liquid-fuelled rockets are of limited military utility. Virtually all modern missiles use solid-fuelled rockets because you don't have to sit there with the rocket on the launchpad waiting to fill it up. As such, the security implications of anyone getting a peek at a Soyuz would seem to be rather small.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
GLaDOS is an S&M Robot, just look at these pics.
-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
this is unreal that, but completely believable considering the lackadaisical ways things are going in Russia these days. I always love seeing sites of people wandering through abandoned places in the old Soviet Union, but this is an operational facility where their (recently, much maligned) space program runs from. Wow, wonder if they'll ever pull out of this rut they've been in.
fak3r.com
American tech and machines are all so clean. Gleaming, shiny, spotless and built in clean rooms where everyone wears body-covering overalls and face masks. In order to work on it, you need a special facility and all manner of special equipment and clothing.
Whereas the Russian factories look like a steel mill. All you need to work on Russian equipment is a tool kit, shade tree and a bottle of vodka. And up until now, it's worked pretty good? To the point where we're dependent on them now.
Perhaps that's part of the problem, rather than "sabotage" or "terrorism"? Things have become too dirty, and could use a little cleaning up.
[End Of Line]
Barbarians — mainly Germans — for many years were incorporated as auxiliarii to the legionarii, around ðe borders. As ðey suffered injustices — today we would say ‘discrimination’ — and sensed ðe empire crumbling down, ðey just took compensation by occupying lands more and more into ðe heart of ðe empire, until ðey reached Rome itself.
Where you went wrong is ðat you seem think of Romans as ðose who inhabited Rome and ðe surrounded territories, and spoke Latin. Actually, all ðe submitted peoples were more or leß romanised, and spoke vulgar Latin and derivatives ðereof, sometimes along with ðeir own ancestral languages, but more often instead of ðem or in a combined language — which gave us Neolatin languages from Portuguese to Romanian, from French to Italian. Moreover, all of ðe empire eventually received Roman citizenship, with or without voting rights, so no freemen who lived in the empire, but ðe recently arrived German tribes at ðe borders, were considered Barbarians.
Leandro Guimarães Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin
In the maintenance guy's defense, the only real difference between an operational Russian rocket factory and one that's been abandoned for 30 years is that most of the lights work in the former and more lazing about is done in latter. He probably didn't realize he was expected to repair fence gaps.
actually, other than the ak-47, Russian tech has been a by-word for "awful hunk of near junk which will kill you before days out." while they have had some elegance, ie giving cosmonauts pencils instead of billion dollar space pens, mostly their efforts are disastrous. Most of their original spacecraft were basically elaborate death traps, their cold war era missile defence systems nearly kicked off ww3, and I don't think they've ever made a decent automobile ever. And the American shuttle program was mostly shut down because NASA wouldn't let anyone strap guns/bombs to one.
ie giving cosmonauts pencils instead of billion dollar space pens
Oh dear lord, not this again. Please become less fucking stupid.