Today, April 12, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Rocket and Space Industry Workers — a holiday for those who, even in times of war, continue to maintain the orbit of Ukrainian science and defense. As an inheritance from the Soviet past, we received a powerful engineering school that gave the world “Zenith”, “Zyklon”, “Antares” – and gave hope to Ukraine. But today, the industry is our memory of big launches. As well as the production of high-precision weapons, international agreements, drones and missiles, which are of strategic importance for the defense of the country. Traditions live on, but priorities are changing: now Ukrainian space is more about survival, defense and the future that we will build after peace.
Was – became: the history of the rocket and space industry of Ukraine
Ukraine is the cradle of space engineering. During the Soviet era, 80% of all rocket and space developments took place with the participation of Ukrainian enterprises. It was in Dnipro that intercontinental ballistic missiles were created, tens of thousands of specialists worked here, and KB “Pivdenne” and “Pivdenmash” had world fame. After gaining independence, Ukraine became one of the few states that owns the full cycle of creating space technology — from design to launch. After 2014, the industry lost its key customer — Russia. The war, underfunding, the outflow of personnel — all this significantly undermined production capacity. But despite the difficulties, Ukraine has not lost its cosmic subjectivity. Instead of old ties, it created new alliances with the USA, the EU, Japan, and Turkey. Instead of focusing on mass production, it focused on innovation and high-precision solutions. Instead of the Soviet legacy, it gave priority to the formation of a new, national space strategy.
The industry has survived recession and blow after blow, but it has not broken. Yes, “Pivdenmash” is working at capacity, but the plant is being modernized. Some of the projects are implemented through private companies. Startups are emerging that offer solutions in the niche of small satellites, drones, and optical surveillance. There is a slow but real transition from Soviet production to an innovative ecosystem.
Ukraine is taking steps towards space exploration: why is it important?
Ukraine is not only developing its space industry, but also actively integrating it into military strategies to ensure national security. Recently, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine created the Office of Space Policy, which should become the main body for the development of Ukrainian military space. This new structure, for in words Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Kateryna Chernogorenko, will combine internal and external capabilities to strengthen the Defense Forces through space technologies.
One of the first steps of the new structure should be to focus on three key areas: satellite communication, space intelligence and the system of early warning of missile danger. Satellite communication will become the basis for the management of troops and the development of new defense technologies. It is critical for accurate planning and coordination, because without it it is impossible to carry out effective command of military forces, which is an important factor for conducting modern military operations.
Space intelligence will allow tracking the movement of enemy troops, assessing their logistical chains and concentration of forces, which is necessary for accurate forecasting and planning of strategic attacks. This will enable Ukraine to always be one step ahead of the enemy.
An important element is also the creation of a system of early warning of missile danger. Today, Russia terrorizes the Ukrainian civilian population with missile strikes every day. An early warning system will help protect people from such attacks by providing timely information about threats, which will minimize human losses and damages.
At the first stages, the Office of Space Policy will deal with the development of a regulatory and legal framework for the development of this industry, the search for the most modern space technologies and the establishment of cooperation with developers, scientists, entrepreneurs and international partners. This will create the necessary conditions for the further development of the space infrastructure.
In the following years, it is planned to develop our own satellites and integrate space technologies into the defense systems of Ukraine. This will create a satellite group that will provide real-time analytics and be part of global security projects. Ukraine will be able to monitor the situation in real time, which will significantly increase its defense capabilities.
Ukraine is actively developing international cooperation in the rocket and space industry, which is a key factor for strengthening defense capabilities and integration into global technological processes.
Ukraine in space: from heritage to new horizons
According to the data Aerospace portal of Ukraine, during independence, our country carried out 138 launches of domestically produced launch vehicles from 6 cosmodromes around the world. 308 spacecraft were launched into space, of which 32 were domestically developed. Ukraine occupied 6-10% of the world launch market, and our “Kurs” equipment ensured 65% of spacecraft dockings in orbit, thanks in particular to 164 sets of this equipment, which were manufactured in Ukraine.
Since 2015, 9 managers have changed in the State Space Agency of Ukraine, of which 4 were acting, and the rest worked in the position for only a year or less. As a result, the country has developed five space programs, but as of 2018 does not have a clear national space program. Only in November 2022, the target scientific and technical space program for 2021-2025 was voted in the first reading.
However, modern space still remains one of the key priorities for Ukraine. The space sphere should be at the forefront of economic and technological development, and there is hope that with new changes the country will still reach a new level in the space industry.
Infographic: IA “FACT”
In 2023, Ukrainian achievements continued to expand at the world level. In January, the Falcon-9 rocket sent the third nanosatellite “PolyITAN-HP-30” from the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute into space. In February, another Falcon-9 rocket launched the first EOS SAT-1 satellite, developed with the participation of Ukrainian enterprises, into orbit.
The Antares rocket, which launched the Cygnus spacecraft for the ISS, continues to operate actively, although this was the last launch in the old configuration of the rocket, which used Ukrainian components. Similarly, the Firefly Alpha missile, made with Ukrainian components, has also demonstrated its capabilities, albeit with some technical problems during recent launches. It was one of the last major events successful withdrawal 12 spacecraft were launched into orbit by the European Vega rocket. The RD-843 marching engine block, which is part of this launch, was developed by the Ukrainian enterprise “KB Pivdenne” and manufactured by “Pivdenny Machine-Building Plant”. Such a high level of cooperation demonstrates Ukraine’s strong ties with European space initiatives.
Cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA)
Ukraine strives for closer cooperation with ESA, which opens up opportunities for participation in joint projects, technology exchange and access to advanced space developments. It also contributes to the development of the national space infrastructure and the improvement of the qualifications of Ukrainian specialists.
Ukrainian representatives take active participation in international events, such as the Defense Tech Innovations Forum 2025, where prospects for the development of space technologies and their role in modern security are discussed. This contributes to the establishment of partnership relations and the attraction of investments in the industry. ”Space is transforming military development. Investors are investing in space technology startups because they can provide high-quality OSINT information at a low cost. Clear satellite imagery can change the course of battle,” says Clayton Williams, CEO of IQT investment firm.
Ukrainian specialists as well involved in the creation of components for European and American space programs, such as the Antares and Vega launch vehicles. This indicates a high level of trust in Ukrainian technologies and their competitiveness on the world market. In general, international cooperation is an important factor in the development of the rocket and space industry of Ukraine, contributing to its modernization, integration into the global space community, and strengthening of national security.
The latest developments: from drones to satellite systems
Ukraine continues to actively develop its own rocket and space technologies, adapting them to modern challenges and defense needs. What has already been done?
“Palyanytsia” drone rocket. This new type of high-precision weapon is designed to hit targets at a distance of up to 700 km. The cost of one product is less than 1 million dollars, which makes it a cost-effective means of defense.
Project “Cyclone-4M”. It is about a medium-class Ukrainian launch vehicle, which is being developed for launches from the territory of Canada. In 2024, vibration and functional tests of the main fairing and fire tests of the third stage of the rocket were successfully conducted.
Satellite systems of situational awareness: Ukraine is working on the creation of its own satellites and systems of space situational awareness, which are integrated into defense technologies. This will allow receiving analytics in real time and will become part of global security projects. All these developments testify to Ukraine’s desire to strengthen its defense capabilities and take a worthy place among the space powers of the world.
Therefore, Ukraine’s entry into space and the development of space policy are not only of scientific or infrastructural importance. During the war, space technologies became an important component of national defense. They make it possible to create systems that are capable of conducting reconnaissance, warning of threats and assisting in strategic planning. Ukrainian military space is another step towards strengthening the country’s defense capabilities and ensuring its security in the face of modern threats.
