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Space Research Institute in Times of Change. Glimpses of the Past and Visions of the Future

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УДК 629.78(091) ББК 39.6г. ISBN 978-5-00015-003-0 Space Research Institute in Times of Change. Glimpses of the Past and Visions of the Future International Forum “Space Science: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” 30 September – 2 October 2015, Moscow Selected Papers from the Session This collection of essays gives a very brief overview into the history of Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAN) and some of its most promi- nent events. The book is based on selected talks given at International Forum “Space Science: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” (Moscow, 2015) dedicated to the 50th an- niversary of IKI RAN. Keywords: space research, space exploration, space, history, Space Research Institute, Academy of Sciences, history, international collaboration, proceedings. © Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAN), 2016 ALONG THE THORNY PASS OF SPACE SCIENCE. 50-yeArs-jOURNEY* Lev M. Zelenyi, Moscow, Russia Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia My task is to tell you the very brief history of Space Research Institute, which turned 50 in 2015, and, thus, was established as far back in time as 1965. The date itself est no‑ men. The second half of 1950s was the very start of political and cultural ottepel (liter- ally, “thaw”) in the USSR, which brought to life new generation of poets, artists, mu- sicians, and — not to the least extent — scientists. The main change was perhaps that the “iron curtain” was gradually lifted, which had been separating the country from the most of the outer world during the cold war. The spirit of international friendship permeated or started to permeate all spheres of life. The 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow in 1957 designated these changes in the foreign and inner policy, and paved the way for future international projects, scientific among others. It is true that science was largely dependent on military goals; and even more so for rocketry, which was considered by many — luckily, not by all — to be merely the weapon to deliver special missiles to potential targets. However, those who drove the development of rockets saw farther and were able to persuade the leaders of the na- tions that entering outer space can be a goal in itself, a matter of national pride, and a way to new discoveries and inevitably technologies. October 4, 1957, Sputnik was launched, the first man-made object to enter space. The international response was immense, and outside the USSR even larger than within. The newspapers praised Soviet designers and nation leaders, and mocked at their political rivals, the USA. Oh, little Sputnik, flying high With made-in-Moscow beep, You tell the world it’s a Commie sky and Uncle Sam’s asleep. G. Mennen Williams, the Democratic governor of Michigan, published in The Washington Post Sputnik was, however, obviously not merely the nine-day wonder. The main outcome for science was that space age truly began, which meant new opportunities to study the outer space and other planets in situ, to see the Earth from outside, and perceive the sky beyond the thick veil of terrestrial atmosphere. Going back to the USSR, one should be glad that by that time strong cooperation and friendship bound two key figures in rocket industry and science: Sergey Pavlovich Korolev and Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh. An interesting twist of history is that now the name of Korolev is acclaimed all around the world, while that of Keldysh stays somewhat in shadow even in Russia. Back then, in 1950 and 1960s it was vice versa. Sergey Korolev, totally classified person, was referred to as anonymous “Chief Designer” in media, and Mstislav Keldysh was a brilliant academic star, the member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, its vice-president (1960–61), and then pres- ident from 1961 to 1975 (he passed away in 1978). But some part of his scientific life was also “top secret”. Few knew that he and his colleagues worked on mathematical * The paper is based on the talk given at plenary session on October 2, 2015, in the Russian Academy of Sciences. Necessary supplements and amendments were made to reflect the latest events and changes in Russian space program, adopted in March 2016 — ed. 5 Lev Zelenyi theory for jet aviation, and later for rocket engineers. Later, Keldysh headed a special commission in the Academy of Sciences, which coordinated the works on the instru- ments for the first full-fledged scientific satellite (launched as Sputnik 3 in May, 1958). Shortly afterwards he became the leader of space research in the USSR, which meant that under his leadership a consistent and progressive program was formed, which included in the first place the exploration of the Moon and other planets, ac- companied by studies of the space itself and distant objects (we leave out manned space flights, albeit they too were the matter for academic science, but that is another story, so to say). Sputnik, space and the First Secretary of the Communist Party — Nikita Khruschev in media The First Sputnik Mstislav Keldysh and Sergey Korolev 6 Along the Thorny Pass of Space Science. 50-years-journe Keldysh headed the Interdepartmental Scientific and Technical Council for Space Research at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, established in 1958. Space exploration began with Sturm und Drang, but soon it was clear that real exploration requires some system, and some coordinating center. On July 5, 1963, Mstislav Keldysh sent a letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, sug- gesting a special Joint Space Research Institute to be established within the Academy of Sciences. Such an institute would be entitled to develop the program of space re- search and exploration for the sake of fundamental science, and coordinate the works on its implementation, as well as develop and build dedicated instruments for space experiments, test them, and install aboard scientific spacecraft. The institute would be “combined” from the groups and institutions already involved in space science, hence the word “joint” in its name. In the letter Keldysh properly mentioned the international space race: “Such in- stitute will provide and ensure the leading position of the Soviet Union in space explo- ration in the nearest years and set off its achievements against many specialized space science centres of the USA”. The proposal was approved and accepted, to a large extent thanks to Nikita Sergeevich Khruschev, the First Secretary of Central Committee of the USSR Communist Party. Space in the late 1950s became his favourite child. It is hard to overestimate the role Khruschev played for rapid launch of the national space pro- gram. However, while the grand success of Apollo’s program is justly tributed to the US president Kennedy, in Russia the memory of Khruschev was meticulously erased from public awareness, after he was succeeded by Leonid Brezhnev. Classified Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers No. 392-147 «On the es- tablishment of the Space Research Institute» was issued on May 5, 1965 (declassified in 2010). It stated that the Institute “is the head organization for science research in space studies, exploration of the Moon and planets of the Solar System, and consti- tutes the scientific and methodological base for Interdepartmental Scientific and Technical Council for Space Research at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR” (this Council was dismissed in 1992, but revived as Council on Space of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which I am privileged to head today since 2013). The site for the future Institute was chosen in the outskirts of Moscow, near the highway to Kaluga. Now it’s the intersection of two large streets, and — what an irony — bears the name “Keldysh’s Square”. The actual construction of the Institute’s building lasted for many years, and those who work in IKI from its inception remem- ber first “temporary” two-floor houses, which copied standard design of Soviet barber shops. They are still in use, by the way, proving an old wisdom that nothing is more stable than temporary structures. The staff of Space Research Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, or IKI RAN (IKI is Russian abbreviation of the full name and in English it is also used as is), in accordance with the initial plan, was completed with scientists and engi- neers from many other institutes, universities, and design bureaus. Namely, from the Academy there were people from the Interdepartmental Council, who provided organizational backbone for the newborn Institute, and laboratories from Institute for Applied Mathematics (again, the child of Keldysh), the Institute for the Physics of the Atmosphere, Lebedev Institute of Physics, Institute for Computing Technics, Institute for Nuclear Physics (Novosibirsk), Vernadsky Institute for Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Institute for Radioelectronics. 7 Lev Zelenyi Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers establishing IKI Along the Thorny Pass of Space Science. 50-years-journe A bulk of scientists came from Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU). They were extremely active in the very first experiments in space, including Sternberg Astronomical Institute and Skobeltsyn Institute for Nuclear Physics, which belong to MSU. Then there were a number of Moscow educational institutes: Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology, Aviation Institute, Energy Institute, State Pedagogical Institute, Institute for Geodesy and Cartography, Institute for Telecommunications. From industry came colleagues of S. P. Korolev from Special Design Bureau 1 (OKB-1, future Energia Rocket and Space Corporation), Russian Scientific and Research Institute for Space Instrumentation, and other. There were also people from Institute for Atomic Energy (Kurchatov Institute), Meteorological Agency, and some other institutions. Such a list meant that the Institute was comprised of people with very different mentalities and approaches to science and space research, who were put into a kind of “melting pot”.
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