Is "Exolaunch" a branch of Roscosmos masquerading as a German space startup?

^26/03/2024

At first glance, “Exolaunch” is a typical company in the modern space industry. Their specialization is launching microsatellites, with their headquarters located in Germany. However, it’s not their feats in conquering Space that raise eyebrows; their close connections to Russia are noteworthy.

Most experts in this company, as well as its executives and engineers, originate from Russia. But the issue is not their Russian heritage itself. From the very beginning, they collaborated with Roscosmos through its subsidiary. “Exolaunch’s” leadership currently attempts to conceal their origins, changing names and identifying as EU citizens. Nevertheless, they continue to deepen personal and perhaps even business connections with other Russians, including children and relatives of “Yedinaja Rossia” deputies and propagandists.Let's figure out who these Russians are and how the close collaboration of "Exolaunch" with Russia can threaten Ukraine and EU countries. This article is the result of a joint investigation with Intelligence Online.

This publication continues a series of investigations into how Russian citizens and supporters are attempting to establish businesses in Europe, circumvent sanctions, and how this can ultimately affect the security and interests of the European Union and Ukraine. The previous investigation was related to the Replica app.

What is the “Exolaunch”?

“Exolaunch” is a German company specializing in providing services for launching, mission management, and deploying small satellites and microsatellites. Their website claims the successful deployment of 325 small satellites into orbit.

Microsatellites have compact dimensions and low mass compared to conventional satellites. Their purposes and functionalities include data collection, Earth observation, scientific research, communication services, and more. The smallest microsatellites are called CubeSats — these are cube-shaped satellites ranging in size from a few to tens of centimeters.

The relatively small mass and size of microsatellites make them cost-effective. Launching them also becomes cheaper and more accessible for startups. Therefore, interest in such technologies is steadily increasing. Currently, the number of satellites in Earth’s orbit can reach 7,000; by 2030, this number could grow to 100,000 units.

Engaging in the production and launch of satellites may seem attractive, but it requires substantial investments. Generally, we talk about full ranging from hundreds of thousands to several million dollars.

In this field, both Elon Musk’s “SpaceX” and Richard Branson’s “Virgin Orbit” are active players. Many companies strive to emulate their successes, and “Exolaunch” is one of them.

Unlike Musk, who plans to build a colony on Mars, or Branson, who is focused on developing space tourism, “Exolaunch” launches microsatellites into Space. Entrepreneurs are like buying Space on a cargo ship that delivers their goods to Space. “Exolaunch’s” CEO, Dmitry Bogdanov, dreams of creating a “DHL of the space industry.”

However, such a DHL would have few ties to Russia. This is because some of the company’s executives are, in one way or another, connected to Russia through business or personal relationships. For example, the Vice President of Launches owns an apartment in Moscow and holds dual citizenship in Germany and Russia. The Executive Director, Arnold Sterengartz, has a relative in the unrecognized entity of Transnistria who openly expresses preferences for publications related to Russian propaganda on social media. The Vice President of Global Logistics, Sergey Polyak, has completed 8 projects in his career, and 5 of them were in Russia.

How does the “Exolaunch” company collaborate with Russia?

You won’t find a “Company History” section or “Company Idea and Mission” on the “Exolaunch” website. Of course, not everyone follows this approach, and it’s not necessarily an indicator, but does “Exolaunch” genuinely have something to hide?

At the beginning of its activity in 2011, “Exolaunch”  represented the interests of the Russian company “Glavkosmos,” which, in turn, is a subsidiary of “Roscosmos.” As stated by Dmitry Bogdanov in 2017, “Exolaunch” and Glavkosmos created infrastructure for developing microsatellites based on Russian universities. They also signed contracts to purchase satellites on the Soyuz launch vehicle for 2-3 years. All partners in this cooperation were Russian companies.

“Exolaunch” last sent satellites using Russian Soyuz rockets in 2020. Thereafter, de jure, they collaborate only with SpaceX and Rocket Lab. This investigation could have ended there, but it turned out that “Exolaunch” is still listed as a partner of Glavkosmos.

“Exolaunch” didn’t leave collaboration with Russians until the last day before the start of the full-scale conflict. They planned to launch the “StriX-β” satellite owned by the Japanese startup “Synspective” using the Russian “Soyuz-2” rocket. The launch was scheduled for the end of 2021. Interestingly, a few months before the launch, the Japanese startup announced an expansion of its partnership with “Exolaunch”. They had plans to launch three satellites by mid-2022, all using the “Soyuz-2” rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. However, in December 2021, the launch schedule for “Soyuz-2” was suddenly changed. As a result, all the Synspective startup’s satellites were eventually launched using the Electron rocket owned by Rocket Lab.

Until February 2022, “Exolaunch”  actively supplied shipments to Russia for launching “Spire” and “Iceye” satellites. In early February, until the 24th, “Exolaunch” directly and through Iceye Oy sent the full-size models of their space equipment — “Exopod” and “Carbonix” — to Glavkosmos. 14 deliveries were carried out, with the latest on February 5, 2022.

During 2013-2016, “Exolaunch” participated in educational projects for Ph.D. candidates in the field of mechanical engineering called NETCENG, which was funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). Notable partners in this project include the design bureau “Yuzhnoye” and higher education institutions from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

From 2016 to 2019, “Exolaunch” was a partner in the program for the modernization and training of robotics and the space industry for higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia under the Erasmus+ Apple program. Among the other program participants were the ministries of education in Russia, Glavkosmos, and the NPC “Malye kosmichnye aparaty.”

In 2015, “Exolaunch” organized qualification enhancement courses in Berlin for master’s degree students in technical specialties from Kazakhstan and Russia. Lectures were performed in both English and Russian languages.

The “Exolaunch” company, over an extended period since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, actively collaborated with Russia, including Russian government entities. The company’s actions and decisions had economic and political implications.

The dangers lurking behind “Exolaunch’s” “cosmic friendship” with Russia

“Exolaunch’s” activities could potentially have a harmful impact not only on Ukraine but also on EU countries. Why?

The pro-Russian influence of “Exolaunch” leadership can impact decisions in the international space industry. Russians may use their connections and relationships with other Russians to advance overtly pro-Kremlin propaganda narratives and ideas, or even influence political decisions.

Legal entities of “Exolaunch”. One of “Exolaunch’s” legal entities was registered in Latvia in 2019. Their income in 2019 amounted to $2.4 million; in 2020, it was $2.2 million. The registration address of this company is a multi-apartment building. Three other legal entities are also registered at the same address, all founded by Latvian citizens:

• Schincu: Founded in 2018. The type of activity is “installation of plumbing, heating, and air conditioning.” Previously known as “PR City,” engaged in “advertising.” Founder: Sergey Timofeyev. One of the board members: Uldis Zvaigznite.
• JURKOMERC I: Founded in 2017. Currently, inactive as of August 2021. The type of activity is “written and oral translations.” Founder: Irina Ilchenko, listed as a representative for 31 legal entities.
• JURVEDA: Founded in 2003. Engaged in “legal activities.” Presumably, this company was previously called “JURKOMERC I.”

In September 2020, “Exolaunch” registered another legal entity, “Exolaunch”, INC, in Delaware, USA. In October 2021, they opened a branch in Colorado, USA, called “Exolaunch” USA.

In the context of sanctions evasion possibilities, this information may indicate the creation of structures and companies operating under the guise of legal entities. Still, it may be used for various purposes, including sanctions circumvention. Companies founded by Latvian citizens who share the registration address with “Exolaunch” could be utilized for conducting operations that might be inaccessible due to sanctions. Additionally, they could facilitate anonymity and establish financial connections that could be leveraged for geopolitical objectives. Furthermore, “Exolaunch’s” legal entities in the United States may further expand opportunities for sanctions circumvention through American companies and the market.

Launch of the "Sich-2-30" satellite. Negotiations with "Exolaunch"

The "Sich-2-30" satellite began development in 2015. The project of this satellite encountered problems - investigators found that it is not a new development, but merely a copy of the previous version of the "Sich-2" satellite.

The launch of the Ukrainian satellite "Sich-2-30" was postponed several times. Initially, it was intended to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, but it was delayed due to a lack of funding.

Negotiations for the launch of "Sich-2-30" were held with the company "Exolaunch." At that time, Ukrainian media reported (1, 2) that "Exolaunch" was an "official partner of SpaceX." However, "Exolaunch" merely purchases bulk spaces on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and resells these slots.

In March 2021, there was talk of  preparing to sign a direct contract with SpaceX. An agreement on confidentiality was also signed with this company. Later, the satellite was supposedly launched directly through SpaceX. However, there is no documentary evidence of this. The cost of launching through SpaceX is $1 million for a spacecraft up to 200 kg + $5k/kg for additional weight.

After the launch of the "Sich" satellite into orbit, it was not possible to establish stable communication with it. The "Pivdenne" Design Bureau explained that this was due to “a number of external factors related to the peculiarities of cluster launching.”

The Russian spies: The Kremlin’s presence in Europe

All these aspects potentially have severe implications for the security and interests of Ukraine and the European Union. This thesis has been repeatedly confirmed over the past ten years. Recent examples include in 2023 when Russian special services established surveillance of embassies using antennas.

Another case is related to Russian spies in Europe, specifically the attempted coup in Germany in December 2022. The radical terrorist organization “Patriotic Union” had close cooperation with Russia through a Russian citizen, Vitaliy B. Prosecutors claim that this individual maintained contact with Russian officials on behalf of the terrorists.

Furthermore, 2018, information was published indicating that half of the Russians living in the United Kingdom could be Russian spies.

This proves that Russians are not just “living and working in Europe.” They are potentially dangerous spies who can be involved in various spheres of Kremlin influence.

Equally important is the fact that Russia uses space technology in its war against Ukraine. In early August 2022, Russia launched the Iranian satellite ‘Hayam’ from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which allowed Russia to collect data from Ukrainian territory.

Considering all of this, it’s worth noting that “Exolaunch” is involved in satellite integration. This means they have full access to the satellite before its launch. It’s impossible to know what they might do with the satellite and whether they will share data with third parties.

Name changes and influential friends from Russia. Who manages the “Exolaunch” company?

Dmytro Yuriyovych Bohdanov / Sternharz

Who is this?

Dmytro Yuriyovych Bohdanov / Sternharz is the leader and founder of “Exolaunch”. He was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and moved to Germany in 2000. In July 2011, he became the director of the legal entity registered under the name “ECM Space Technologies GmbH,” which was initially the name of “Exolaunch”

Bohdanov hides his real surname on Facebook. He is signed as Dmitriy Grand. On this page, he often posts photographs from Russia. 

On the screenshot to the right - a post from 2015 where Bohdanov praises Moscow’s “social life” and promotes a club in Moscow. Once again, it’s worth noting that Russia had already begun its military aggression against Ukraine by then, creating unrecognized terrorist groups “l/dpr.”

But Dmitry doesn’t just relax in Russia. Since 2014, he has traveled there more often for business purposes. For example, in July 2015, Bohdanov spoke at conferences in Russia.

In January 2017, together with the leaders of the Russian “Glavkosmos,” Dmitry Bogdanov was a speaker at the “Global Space Congress” in Abu Dhabi. There, they presented a joint project of the “Canopus-V-IK” spacecraft. A partner of Bogdanov in this project was later accused of embezzling $52k.(1, 2).

In 2017, Bogdanov gave an interview where he stated that the cooperation with “Glavkosmos” is “very significant for “Exolaunch.” 

“It is also essential that ‘Glavkosmos’ is a commercial division of the State Corporation’ Roscosmos.’ This allows us to make decisions promptly and respond to the dynamic development of the situation in international commercial projects. In my opinion, this quality is essential in the conditions of intense competitive struggle in the modern space services market.” 

 

— Dmitry Bogdanov*

It is also important that Glavkosmos is the commercial division of the Roscosmos State Corporation - this allows for swift decision-making and response to the dynamic development of the situation in the field of international commercial projects. In my opinion, this quality is extremely important in the conditions of fierce competition in the modern space services market. 

 

Our partnership with Glavkosmos began in 2013, and since then it has been continuously developing, forming new directions of joint activity. It is precisely such development of business relations that we consider as the main indicator of effective and promising international cooperation. 

 

— The statement by Bogdanov that was later removed from the website.

Bogdanov was present at Baikonur in 2017 during the “Kanopus-V-IK” spacecraft test launches. He also holds a joint patent with Vsevolod Kryukovsky, a Russian national who leads the launch program at Glavkosmos. The patent pertains to a device system that propels satellites into Space. The published patent dates back to 2017 in Russia.

In July 2022, the legal entity “Exolaunch GmbH” published a list of shareholders. This update marked the first change since 2011, with the only alteration being the surname “Bogdanov,” which transformed into “Sternharz.”

Zhanna Allari (Medvedeva)

Date of birth: 08.10.1991

Who is this?

Vice President for Space Launches. Born in Krasnoyarsk. She has been working at “Exolaunch” since 2018. In March 2022, she was appointed the company’s CEO, but she left this position in the same month (1, 2). Presumably, she changed her name to ‘Zhanna Alari.’ In January 2022, she was still mentioned under her old name, but by February 23, 2022, she was already known as Zhanna Alari. It is under this name that she has been featured in the media and on the “Exolaunch” website since February 2022 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). According to a comment by Exolaunch, published by Intelligence Online, Jeanne got married. That's why she decided to change her name and surname and Europeanized it to Jeanne Allarie.

From 2013 to 2018, Zhanna worked at Glavkosmos and was responsible for Russian-Chinese cooperation in civil Space. Later, she moved to the department of launches of related payloads and worked on commercial projects.

In July 2017, she participated in a panel discussion discussing promoting Russia’s leadership and the popularization of Russian cosmonauts abroad.

In March 2019, she still received a salary of $2k/month from Glavkosmos. However, she had been working at “Exolaunch” for over a year.

In 2016, when Zhanna was pursuing her master’s degree, her academic advisor was Alexey Aleksandrovich Maslov. In 2020-2021, he served as the acting director of the Institute of the Far East, which is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Maslov’s Facebook profile shares photos with Dmitry Medvedev, the leader of the Russian Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov, and other Russian politicians. Zhanna Alari is friends with Maslov on Facebook (1, 2).

Zhanna Medvedeva’s fellow student was Nikita Lebedev (09.02.1993, FB, TW, VK, [email protected], +79852750990, passport: 2406 285870, skype: ghostbuster75). After completing his master’s degree, this man worked as a project manager in the non-profit organization “Agency for Strategic Initiatives” established by the Russian government. Putin chairs the supervisory board of this institution. Additionally, this classmate of Zhanna Medvedeva is involved in implementing the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” (1, 2, 3). Zhanna Medvedeva is friends with Nikita Lebedev on FB and VK (1, 2). In 2021, he repeatedly liked her posts (1, 2).

Among Zhanna’s friends on Instagram is Anastasia Anatolyevna Nabatchikova (06.03.1991, FB, Inst, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], +79165745764, +39389064211, skype: anastasia.nabatchikova, nabat4ickova2014, passport: 4511 202920, TIN: 772481989705). Her LinkedIn profile shows she worked in Presidential Affairs Management from 2013 to 2014. According to insider information, this person is involved in managing and using Russia’s real estate abroad. In 2016-2017, Nabatchikova was an assistant to the head of the gas company “NOVATEK,” sanctioned by OFAC in September 2014. At the same time, the director and co-owner of the company was Leonid Mikhelson, who has been on sanctions lists since 2018 due to interference in the US presidential elections.

Nabatchikova worked as a Client Relationship Executive at LLC “Bridgens” (TOV ‘Bridgens’) in 2017-2018, and the founder of this enterprise was Vladimir Yakunin (1, 2) — a former KGB officer. In November 2013, the French publication ‘Le Monde’ referred to him as ‘Putin’s closest confidant.’ Sanctions have been imposed on Vladimir Yakunin since 2014 by the US, Australia, the UK, Canada, and Ukraine(1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

In addition, Zhanna is also following the page of Konstantin Deriyanenko on Instagram, and they are friends on Facebook. Deriyanenko has been the head of the Council under the President of Russia for the Russian Language since August 2019 by Putin’s decree. In October 2020, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Commission for the Russian Language. Deriyanenko illegally visited the occupied Crimea and was photographed against the backdrop of the cruiser “Moscow.”

Zhanna Medvedeva also follows one of her former classmates, Yaroslav Kolodiazhnyi, on Instagram. He worked at Rosneft from 2014 to 2016 and then at the State Russian Direct Investment Fund until 2017, under OFAC sanctions since 2015.

As of 2022, Zhanna held three foreign passports concurrently and used two of them at the same time. After changing her name between January 12 and February 23, 2022, she crossed the border at least once using her old passport, which still listed the surname “Medvedeva.”

In the autumn of 2022, she vacationed in Nepal exclusively with Russians, including the children of Russian deputies, members of pro-Kremlin parties, and heads of companies subject to sanctions. For example, she was accompanied by Natalia Osman (Inst), a Russian journalist, the daughter of a military officer, and the wife of Murad Osman (Inst), who was also on this trip. Murad Osman’s father presumably ran for election as a candidate from the party “Spravedlivaya Rossiya.” 

She also vacationed with Yekaterina Kononenko (Inst), a Russian film producer, music video director, and co-founder of “Hoodyakov Production” studio. The clients of this studio include Grigory Leps (as mentioned in this investigation), Dzhigan, Philipp Kirkorov, Timati, and the state airline “Aeroflot.” 

Zhanna also vacationed with Ilya Tyutyenkov (Inst), a Moscow-based restaurateur. In December 2022, he stated that he lived in Russia and had no desire to open restaurants in other countries. One of the establishments owned by Ilya is “Ugolok.” In January 2023, Zhanna Alari (Medvedeva), Yekaterina Konovalova, and Russian actress Dasha Charusha visited this restaurant (1, 2).

Another Russian friend of Zhanna’s is Alexander Grankov  (Inst), a Russian entrepreneur and television show participant. He is the son of Igor Grankov, a co-owner of LLC “Transpechchart,” also subject to sanctions by the United States and Ukraine.

Zhanna’s companion, Alexander Shalavin, is a co-owner of the “Cream Soda” restaurant chain in Ryazan and Moscow. He holds ownership through LLC “Ergolf” (1, 2) and LLC “Da Yunchi” (1, 2, 3).. In both legal entities, Alexander’s partner is Dmitry Alexandrovich Rolgeizer, the son of a former deputy of the Ryazan Regional Duma from the “United Russia” party, Alexander Rolgeizer (1, 2).

Arnold Grigorievich Sterengharts   

Date of Birth: March 7, 1952 or 1953

Who is this?

The CEO of “Exolaunch”. Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His relative, Tatiana Mayskaya (Palkina), resides in the territory of the unrecognized Transnistria. On Odnoklassniki (a russian social network) in February-March 2014, she liked posts that propagated Russian disinformation about the Euromaidan, including one publication where she liked posts calling on Ukraine to “wake up from the Western plague and realized that Russia and Ukraine are one entity” (1, 2). In August 2014, she liked a post encouraging the sharing of photos in support of Ukraine. In 2017, she liked a post expressing support for Stalinist state management methods.

Olga Stelmach-Dresher

Date of Birth: December 28, 1985

Who is this?

Since September 2020, Olga has been the Policy and Governmental Relations CEO at “Exolaunch” in Berlin. She has extensive experience in space law and management, including work with various international organizations, universities, and research institutes. Stelmakh holds a Master’s degree in Space and Telecommunications Law and has undertaken internships at the European Space Agency and other influential institutions in the field of space research and development.

In 2015, she married Jürgen Dreher, who served as the Head of the DLR Representation in Washington, DC, from 2004 to 2018. As of January 2022, he held the position of Technology Marketing Coordinator at “DLR.” He has a doctorate in medicine. According to his biography, Olga was involved in joint research with the Russian Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, served as the Principal Investigator in experiments conducted on the Russian space station Mir, and holds the title of Academician of the Russian Tsiolkovsky Academy of Cosmonautics. Russian scientists are co-authors of 14 out of 39 papers authored by Jürgen, which are published on ResearchGate.

Sergey Aleksandrovich Polyak

Date of Birth: February 8, 1983

Who is this?

The Vice President of Logistics and Procurement at “Exolaunch”. He was born in Kyiv but lists Russian and German as his native languages. He studied at the Technical University of Berlin. From 2012 to 2015, he worked as a project manager at Robako. According to the company’s website, during Sergey’s years of work, 8 projects were implemented, with 5 in Russia. On July 14, 2017, after a successful launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, he posted a photo with a poster of the “Kanopus-V-IK” spacecraft, the emblem of Glavkosmos, and the Russian flag. Jeanne Medvedeva was also present there.

Anton Leonidovich Vlaskin

Who is this?

Anton Vlaskin is a graduate of the Moscow Aviation Institute. Before 2018, he worked as a senior software engineer in developing small satellites at Sputnix. During his career, he was involved in software development for aircraft cabin simulation and creating HDL blocks for aircraft. 

In the spring of 2016, he worked as a senior software engineer at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Timur Malikov, a programmer at Kaspersky Lab, endorsed his skills on LinkedIn. The US Department of Homeland Security required all federal agencies to stop using Kaspersky Lab products due to potential connections with Russia.

Lev Aronovich Khasis

Date of Birth: June 5, 1966

Who is this?

Lev Khasis is a Russian banker and former top manager at Sberbank, a businessman, owner of retail stores and supermarkets, and a former co-owner of the space startup Momentus, which collaborated with the “Exolaunch” company. According to insider information, Khasis remains one of the investors in “Exolaunch”. In 2019, the company entered into a partnership for satellite launches with Khasis’s startup, Momentus. In 2021, Khasis was forced to sell his shares due to the US government’s ban on allowing Russians to own American technology.

On his LinkedIn profile, Lev describes himself as a venture investor. However, there has yet to be a recent record of investments made in his name.

In March 2022, Lev put his six-bedroom apartment in Moscow, in the “Stolnik'' residential complex, up for sale. The address is Malyy Levshinskiy Lane, Building 5, Block 2, Apartment 8-9, with an area of 461.6 square meters. According to the Rosreestr extract for January 2023, the apartment is still owned by Khasis. As of July 2023, five active listings exist (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The apartment area in these listings varies from 461 to 485 square meters. The highest price was $9 million in March 2022. The average price of the apartments sold by Lev is $6.5 million.*

As of July 2023, Lev Khasis remains the director of the British legal entity “Sberbanque De Russie” Ltd, where he was appointed in 2016. Although this legal entity is active, it reports as an “inactive firm.”

In July 2023, sanctions against Khasis were lifted following an application from the British law firm Peters & Peters to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom. Sanctions from Canada and Australia against Khasis are still active.

After Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine, Khasis moved to the United States. In Florida, he owns three apartments, two of which are registered in his name and his wife’s name, Olga Bogdanovna Khasis (born on June 9, 1972), while the third is under the legal entity of his wife, 3SBA LLC.

Possible addresses of Khasis’ apartments in Florida:

• 16047 Collins Ave #1603, North Miami Beach, FL 33160$;
• 16047 Collins Ave #1602, North Miami Beach, FL 33160;
• 100 Bayview Dr #1226, North Miami Beach, FL 33160.

Khasis is still subject to sanctions from Canada, Australia, and Ukraine due to his cooperation with the Russian regime.

The exposure of these connections between the leadership of “Exolaunch” and the state-terrorist Russia is essential for several reasons.

Firstly, it concerns the security and stability of the entire region. This revelation demonstrates how deeply Russia’s metastases have spread throughout Europe. Hence, the second point is the limitation of cooperation with potentially dangerous partners. Everyone should understand that collaborating with a company like “Exolaunch” carries reputational risks. The exposure of these connections reveals the true nature and ideology of the company. Thirdly, disclosing such ties is crucial for maintaining international order and the legal system. It allows the public to openly discuss and respond to the company's possible illegal or aggressive actions under international law.

Furthermore, it contributes to establishing compliance standards with international norms and preventing cooperation with terrorist states.