Nikolai Bryukhanov (engineer)

Nikolai Albertovich Bryukhanov (Russian: Николай Альбертович Брюханов, IPA: [nʲikʌɭˈɑj aɭbʲˈertʌvʲit͡ʃʲ brʲu"xˈɑnʌf]; 13 December 1957, Moscow, a prominent Soviet and Russian spacecraft engineer.

Bryukhanov was deputy chief designer at Energia Corporation in charge of piloted vehicle programmes, notably the Kliper and Orel projects, chief designer of the orbital cosmodrome project at S7 Space, and chief designer of the shuttle programme for RTSS (Reusable Transport Space Systems LLC).

Life and career
In 1980, Bryukhanov graduated from the Bauman State Technical University in Moscow with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and joined the Energia Corporation, where he worked his way up from a junior engineer to deputy chief designer responsible for advanced piloted vehicle programmes. Most notably, he spearheaded the Kliper shuttle craft project  as well as Parom, or "ferry boat" space tug intended to complement it.

Bryukhanov went on to supervise the Advanced Crew Transportation System which developed into the Orel partially reusable crewed spacecraft, while at the same time overseeing the upgrade of the Soviet space classic, the Soyuz vehicle.

In 2018, Bryukhanov left Energia to lead the pioneering orbital cosmodrome venture of S7 Space as well as its own cargo spacecraft involved in the Sea Launch complex.

In 2020, Bryukhanov took over the role of chief designer for Argo, the shuttle programme of RTSS (Reusable Transport Space Systems LLC).

Bryukhanov is the holder of several patents, most importantly to de-orbiting spacecraft:



Awards

 * Order of Friendship
 * Medal of the Order of Services to the Fatherland
 * Russian Government Award for Science and Technology
 * Russian Government Yuri Gagarin Award for Achievements in Space