Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (
ГКНПЦ им. М. В. Хру́ничева in
Russian) is a
Moscow-based producer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the
Proton and
Rokot rockets. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established outside Moscow. It soon switched production to airplanes and during
World War II produced
Ilyushin Il-4 and
Tupolev Tu-2 bombers. A design bureau, OKB-23, was added to the company in 1951. In 1959, the company started developing
intercontinental ballistic missiles, and later
spacecraft and
space launch vehicles. The company designed and produced all Soviet space stations, including
Mir. OKB-23, renamed to
Salyut Design Bureau, became an independent company in 1988. In 1993, the Khrunichev Plant and the Salyut Design Bureau were joined again to form
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. In the 1990s, the company entered the
International Launch Services joint-venture to market launches on its
Proton rocket. Khrunichev subsequently became a successful launch service provider on the international space launch market.