Samara University’s Commercial Space Centre (CSC) has developed the universal calculation methods for the cost of space engineering tests. The CSC was established on the initiative of the Roscosmos State Corporation in 2021. The methodology was designed within the roadmap for developing the Commercial Space Centre, approved by the State Corporation.

The methodology is intended for participants in the domestic market of services - leading Russian universities, research and testing centres, on behalf of private companies, including small innovative enterprises that create various space technologies: satellites, onboard equipment, and scientific instruments.

This methodological development will contribute to optimally improving pricing and make the market for testing services more balanced. The draft methodology was considered by the Roscosmos State Corporation. The work was carried out within the Federal Program on Strategic Academic Leadership "Priority 2030". Along with the CSC specialists, employees of other units of Samara University, including the Centre for Experiments in Outer Space, Institute of Economics and Management, as well as the University’s innovative and financial services, took part in the work, .

"The developed methodology should become an important economic tool for participants in the currently emerging domestic market for testing space technology produced by private companies. Applying such a unified pricing methodology will allow forming optimal prices in this sector, which will contribute to formation and development of the commercial space industry in our country", said Professor Anton Doroshin, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Director of the CSC.

The methodology was created on the basis of experience and achievements of Samara University’s specialists. One of the CSC’s key tasks is facilitation of testing commercial space technology at the University’s departments, and interaction with private companies that develop and produce such equipment. Being the "entry point" for customers of testing services, the CSC conducts the thorough analysis of the test objects and, based on it, sets the optimal contract price using the methodology, given various features of the order, for example, possible changes in test conditions, the need to manufacture specialized equipment, selection of alternative test equipment, etc.

As the result, this pricing system considers many indicators and factors of future tests of the space product and related preparatory work. The list of calculation items includes expenses for materials, special equipment, labour costs for employees engaged in the tests, work performed by third-party organizations, and the like. Qualifications of the employees involved and the time they spend on the work are taken into account, as well. All these economic indicators are interrelated using special equations and algorithms for calculating the cost of tests.

This project materials were sent to the Roscosmos State Corporation, for the purpose of considering the opportunity for applying the developed approach in the field of commercial space. The Roscosmos State Corporation involved in analyzing the provided materials the head expert organization – JSC "Organization "Agat". In the response of the State Corporation, signed by Aleksander Bloshenko, Executive Director for Advanced Programs and Science, it is indicated that "the proposed approach can be applied by other higher-school organizations that have their testing base and plan to provide testing services to private companies". Herewith, experts of the State Corporation made a number of comments and recommendations regarding the opportunity for using this pricing methodology when performing work in the interests of the Roscosmos State Corporation itself, including in terms of organizing work on the state defense order.

"Thus, the State Corporation and JSC "Organization "Agat" have seen the potential for its expansion in relation to work on the state defense order, and not only in the interests of private Russian companies. This is an important proposal for improving the methodology that we will work on, but the current version of it fully covers the main segment of the CSC’s work – conducting tests for private companies", said Anton Doroshin.

"All the recommendations given by the Roscosmos State Corporation will be considered and implemented in subsequent revisions of the methodology, however, the main approach aimed at the target focus group of the CSC – private companies ordering tests of their products at Samara University, "Progress" Rocket-Space Centre JSC, BSTU "Voenmeh" and other partner organizations of the CSC – will remain unchanged. By the way, this pricing approach has already interested our partner, D.F. Ustinov Baltic State Technical University, in using it in promising work on developing and testing components of rocket and space technology", concluded Anton Doroshin.

In future, based on this project, it is planned to create the automatic price calculation methodology in the form of a software.

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The Commercial Space Centre (CSC) was established at Samara University in 2021. Its organization was initiated by the Roscosmos State Corporation. The CSC is a link between private companies, scientists, testing and production sites. The CSC activities have a service function and are aimed at organizing multi-level work in interests of private companies developing and creating components and facilities of rocket and space technology.