The Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (Государственный космический научно-производственный центр (ГКНПЦ) имени М. В. Хру́ничева in Russian) is a Moscow-based manufacturer of spacecraft and space-launch systems, including the Proton and Rokot rockets, and the Russian modules of Mir and the International Space Station. The company's history dates back to 1916, when an automobile factory was established at Fili, western suburb of 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. The company had around 2010 an over 30% market share of the global space launch market, and its revenue from commercial space launches in 2009 was $584 million. It is named after Mikhail Khrunichev, a Soviet minister. Current number of employees is about 43,500. History Beginnings Khrunichev's history dates back to April 1916, when an automobile factory called Second "Russo-Balt" automobile plant was established at Fili, western suburb of Moscow. The first cars of the Russo-Balt brand were produced there in 1922. The next year, the factory switched to producing Ju-20 and Ju-21 aircraft for the German company Junkers. It was renamed State Aircraft Plant No. 7. The development of a Russian aircraft industry started soon after. In 1926, this became Zavod 22, where the aircraft of Andrey Tupolev were developed. During World War II, the plant produced Russian-designed Ilyushin Il-4 and Tu-2 long-range bombers. This factory later became the Khrunichev Machine Building Plant. Soviet era In 1951 the Experimental Design Bureau No. 23 (OKB-23) headed by V. Myasishchev was created and added to Khrunichev. In the 1950s, it designed the Myasishchev M-4, Myasishchev M-50 and Myasishchev M-52 planes, among others. The Khrunichev plant was responsible for manufacturing OKB-23 designs. In 1959, the company's focus switched from aircraft to rocket technology, in accordance with