Volodymyr Ben has been appointed the head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU). The order to this effect dated December 20 was published on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The agency got a head
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed the acting head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine. According to the order posted on the government website, until the appointment of the permanent head of this organization in accordance with the established procedure, his duties are temporarily assigned to Volodymyr Ben.
Two weeks ago, the government fired head of all state space programs Volodymyr Taftai. The reasons for his dismissal were not given, but it was known that before that he received a negative assessment of his performance as part of the monitoring that all high-ranking state officials undergo annually.
Volodymyr Ben previously held the position of first deputy head of the Agency. He got this appointment in the summer of 2021, and before that he was the first deputy head of the Kyiv representative office of the general customer of the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
What to expect from SSAU?
It is difficult to say whether anything will change at the State Space Agency due to the new assignment. If the Government allocates additional funds for space explorations at all, it will be done only for some completely new programs. And, most likely, only the permanent head of this organization will be able to offer them.
In view of the ongoing war, the competition for the position may not be held for several months. So it is rather doubtful that the agency will commence any projects, especially after the rather unsuccessful launch of the Sich-2-30 satellite last year.
Source: www.nkau.gov.ua
