NPP Zvezda
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- For other uses, see Zvezda.
Research & Development Production Enterprise Zvezda (R&D PE Zvezda for short, Russian: НПП Звезда) is a Russian manufacturer of life-support systems for high-altitude flight and space travel. Its products include space suits, ejector seats, aircraft escape slides, lifejackets and fire extinguishers. It is based in Tomilino, near Moscow.
The organization was founded in 1952 to develop aviation pressure suits and in-flight refuelling systems for the USSR's space research programme. In the 1960s it began to design space suits, including the one worn by Yuri Gagarin. The Orlan-M space suit was used by cosmonauts in the Mir space station. Zvezda became a joint-stock company in 1994.
Zvezda is also Russia's primary manufacturer of ejector seats for Russian fighter aircraft. The K-36 ejector seat is considered by many as the world's most advanced. It was studied at length by the US Navy and Airforce and IBP Aircraft opened up a factory in the US to manufacture it for the F-22 Raptor and the Joint Strike Fighter. The US Government however selected the Martin Baker seat from the UK in a political move for the new US fighters.
Guy Illich Severin is the General Director and General Designer of the company.
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