Koptev, Yuri N

Russian engineer, headed spacecraft design at Lavochkin 1965-1992, including ambitious generation of lunar and planetary probes. General Director of the Russian Space Agency 1992-2004.

Yuri N. Koptev became General Director of the Russian Space Agency. Trained as an engineer, he began work in 1965 at NPO S.A. Lavochkin, as head o the organization for spacecraft design. Beginning in 1969 he served in administration and eventually was appointed as senior engineer to the Deputy Minister at the design bureau.