Oleg Nikolayevich Ostapenko ( rus, Олег Николаевич Остапенко, uk, Олег Миколайович Остапенко, born 3 May 1957) is the former director of
Roscosmos
The State Space Corporation "Roscosmos" (russian: Государственная корпорация по космической деятельности «Роскосмос»), commonly known simply as Roscosmos (russian: Роскосмос) ...
, the federal space agency, retired
Colonel General in the
Russian Military
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
, former Deputy Minister of Defence, and former commander of the
Aerospace Defence Forces, a position he held from their foundation on 1 December 2011 until his promotion in November 2012.
Prior to this he was commander of the
Russian Space Forces
The Russian Space Forces ( rus, Космические войска России, Kosmicheskie voyska Rossii, KV) are a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, that provides aerospace warning, air and space sovereignty, and other related protect ...
from 2008, replacing
Vladimir Popovkin
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Popovkin (russian: Владимир Александрович Поповкин; 25 September 1957 – 18 June 2014) was the General Director of the Russian Federal Space Agency and former First Deputy Defense Minister of R ...
.
Ostapenko joined the Soviet
Strategic Missile Forces
The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation (RVSN RF; russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения Российской Фед ...
in 1979 after graduating from the
Felix Dzerzhinsky military academy, specialising in 'Strategic Missiles, Engines, and Production Equipment'.
He undertook higher military studies, ending in 1992 and moved into the
Ministry of Defence Space Units. He held a number of roles at
ending with being
Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2004.
In 2004, he was promoted to be First Deputy Chief of Staff of the
Russian Space Forces
The Russian Space Forces ( rus, Космические войска России, Kosmicheskie voyska Rossii, KV) are a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, that provides aerospace warning, air and space sovereignty, and other related protect ...
and after undertaking a
PhD in military sciences he became the commander of
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome ( rus, Космодром «Плесецк», r=Kosmodrom "Plesetsk", p=kəsmɐˈdrom plʲɪˈsʲet͡sk) is a Russian spaceport located in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 ...
in 2007. A year later on 30 June 2008 he was promoted to be commander of the Russian Space Forces replacing Vladimir Popovkin who became a Deputy Defence Minister. He was commander of the Aerospace Defence Forces from 1 December 2011 to 9 November 2012
and was promoted to the rank of
Colonel General on 9 August 2012.
On 9 November 2012, he was appointed as a Deputy Minister of Defence and relieved of his command of the
Aerospace Defence Forces.
On 10 October 2013, Ostanpenko was discharged from military service and relieved of his post in order to head
Roscosmos
The State Space Corporation "Roscosmos" (russian: Государственная корпорация по космической деятельности «Роскосмос»), commonly known simply as Roscosmos (russian: Роскосмос) ...
, the federal space agency.
On 21 January 2015, Ostapenko was dismissed from Roscosmos.
Military education
General Ostapenko earned PhD in Military Sciences in 2007
* Graduated from F. Dzerzhinsky Military College, 1979
* Graduate from the Command Faculty of F. Dzerzhinsky Military College, 1992
* Completed his specialty studies by graduating from the General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, 2007
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostapenko, Oleg
1957 births
Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Russia)
Russian colonel generals
Living people
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni
Deputy Defence Ministers of Russia