In honor of Cosmonautics Day, we profile two students who are just beginning their journey to the stars but are already on track to become industry leaders. Vyacheslav Vorontsov and Denis Kuzmin, students at the Pyotr Kapitsa Department of Low Temperature Engineering at Moscow Polytech, have become design engineers at the legendary Sergei Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, all while working on space technology and writing their master's theses.
Interestingly, Vyacheslav Vorontsov did not grow up dreaming of space. He became passionate about it only in the ninth grade, largely thanks to his teacher.
“My teacher at School No. 1955, Tatyana Viktorovna Viktorova, instilled in me a love for space and astronomy,” Vyacheslav recalls. “We visited the Museum of Cosmonautics many times, went to the Cosmos Pavilion at VDNKh, and once visited the planetarium. She put her heart into the subject, and I became passionate about it too.”
However, the decisive step toward the profession came thanks to his classmate Denis Kuzmin. Their shared interest and initiative brought them to the doorstep of Russia’s flagship space corporation, the Sergei Pavlovich Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia.
“Then it hit me: I actually had a chance to join the space industry. So without a second thought, Denis and I did our work placement in our third year, and we were offered full‑time jobs.”
Today, Vyacheslav Vorontsov and Denis Kuzmin work as design engineers. Their responsibilities include highly complex refueling systems, thermal control systems, and specialized life support systems on the International Space Station. For them, this is not just a job but a chance to get closer to a long‑held dream every day.
“I have already been to the Mission Control Center twice, and words cannot describe it. I watched the launch of the Soyuz MS‑28 and also observed a spacewalk. It was absolutely incredible. Now I plan to visit Baikonur,” Vyacheslav shared.
Alongside their engineering work, both are writing their master's theses. Their research focuses on upgrading and studying specialized life support systems on the ISS. In the future, the young specialists aim to continue developing and do everything they can to advance Russia's space industry.
