Mikhail Shatsky, Deputy Head of the Moscow Research and Design Bureau Mars (MOKB Mars) and Head of the Software Department was shot dead in Moscow. Many media outlets immediately remembered that he is responsible for the development of the Kh-59 and Kh-69 air-to-surface missiles, which are often used to strike Ukraine. Perhaps the most known associated incident was the russian missile attack on the Trypilska TPP in April 2024 using Kh-69 cruise missiles.
While certainly significant, this is not the only project Shatsky was involved in because the scope of projects by MOKB Mars is much broader. This design bureau, formally a part of the Rosatom nuclear industry enterprise, is better known for its research in the outer space domain and development of so-called onboard control systems (TsVM digital computers) for spacecraft and multistage rocket's upper stages. For example, for the Spektr-series orbital astrophysical observatories and the Briz-M rocket stage.
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But activities of such design bureaus are almost never limited to peaceful space exploration. In Soviet times, MOKB Mars, in parallel with the creation of an automatic landing system for the Buran reusable orbiter, was also designing navigation systems for the Kh-55 nuclear-capable land attack cruise missile.
The contemporary Mars Design Bureau continues with this tradition of duality in modern-day russia. In September 2024, the international OSINT project InformNapalm published documents proving that MOKB Mars is involved in creating onboard control systems for the cruise missiles produced by MKB Raduga. This time, it's not about just the Kh-59 or Kh-69 but also about the supersonic Kh-22, Kh-32, and common Kh-555, Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles. At the very least, these missiles incorporate the K-051M, U501M systems, and the SN-99 navigation modules provided by the Mars bureau.
By the way, this became known thanks to the investigation documents on the Kh-32 missiles that the Mars Design Bureau was repairing, since their internal components kept failing. As the OSINT community noted, such problems were found in over 50% of the Kh-32 missiles.
On the part of Defense Express, we would like to note that the Mars Design Bureau also deals with a rather specific topic: astronavigation. Of course, these technologies are actively used in spacecraft but also in strategic bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles. There's a possibility that russian weapons also contain products of this strictly confidential facet of the Mars Design Bureau's activities.
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