February 9, 2025

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Valery Aliyev, the Chief Designer of the Aspire Launch Vehicle, who passed away on February 9, 2025, at the age of 84.

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Valery Aliyev dedicated his entire life to space exploration. A graduate of Dnepropetrovsk University, he advanced from an engineer at the legendary OKB-1 to Deputy Chief Designer of RSC Energia. His contributions to major programs such as Energia-Buran, Mir–Shuttle, and Sea Launch became milestones in the history of global astronautics. Under his leadership, dozens of successful international launches were carried out, and the engineering solutions he developed laid the foundation for the future of reusable spaceflight technologies.

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In recent time, Valery Aliyev led the design work within the Aspire project, serving as the Chief Designer of the Aspire Launch Vehicle. His experience, vision, and unique engineering mindset largely defined the architecture of the Aspire system and established the technical groundwork for its further development.

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Aspire has lost not only an outstanding engineer and mentor, but also a man of exceptional integrity, energy, and devotion to his mission. To all of us, Valery Aliyev was a symbol of professionalism, openness to innovation, and unwavering belief in the power of human ingenuity.

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We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Valery Aliyev. His legacy will forever remain part of the history of global astronautics and a cornerstone of Aspire’s future achievements.

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His memory will live on in our hearts.