The Soviet Space Research Program
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72 THE SOVIET SPACE.RESEARCHPROGRAM . MONOGRAPH III f ORGANEATION; PLANNING, AND CONTROL CIA/SI 3759 27 August 1959 CENTPAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ,' OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE I I CO LO57 7.5 1 J .. .. WARNING T'WJ material contoins information affecting the National Defense o! the Unlted State8 within the meaning of the espionaoe laws, Title 18, USC, Becs. 799 and 794, the trans- mindon or revelatim of which in any manner to an nnauthorlmd person la prahlbrted by law. I . .. I ,.. *,_. ... .. I CO 1,O 5 7 7,5 1 8 Scientific Intelligence Report THE SOVIET SPACE RESEARCH PROGRAM MONOGRAPH 111 ORGANIZATION, PLANNING, AND CONTROL NOTICE._ The conclusions, judgments, and optnionS contained in this finished intelligence report are based on extensive scientipc intelligence research and n?pressnt the final and consid- et& views of the Ome of Scientijk Intelli- pence. * CIA/SI 37-59 27 August 1959 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE CO 20 57 7.5 1 PREFACE The intelligence information presented in this monograph covers the period from October 1057 to 15 May 1050 and is based on open literature and classified repor@. This study, which is made to determine the organization, planning, and control of the Soviet apace research program and to assess the impact of these factors on future Soviet space research,is one of 12 studies on the Soviet space research program. Monographs XI through XII are designed to support the conclusions found in Monograph I, an overall evaluation of the program, which will be published last. Monographs on the Soviet Space Resesrch Program: IEstimate 1050-74 VII Telemetry, Communica- tiom, and Reconnais- I1 Objectives sance Instrumentation IV Space,Vehicles X Space Biology and As- trobiology V Propulsion Systems XI Astronomical Aspects XII Current Status of Prog- VI Guidance and Control ress CO LO5 7 7.5 1 CONTENTS Page PREFACE. ...................iii SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIQNS ...... .. .... 1 DISCUSSION .................. 2 ..Organieatio.EngagedinSpaceResearch ...... 2 Early Activities ................2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 ...... 8 8 9 11 0-4.m V C 0 1.0 5 7 7.5 1 CONTENTS - Continued FIGURES . Fouototng Page 1. chart Organization and Coordination of Soviet Space Research.. , . , . , . 2 2. Chart Probable Channels for Planning Soviet Space Research.. 2 THE SOVIET SPACE RESEARCH PROGRAM MONOGRAPH 111 ORGANIZATION, PLANNING, AND CONTROL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS mere appears to be a division of responsi- National Economy (Sovnarkhozes), higher bility in the administration of the Soviet educational institutions (WZ's) ,* and minis- space research program between the civilian tries, but the major portion of this phase of and military authorities. the research is probably conducted in institu- tions under the Ministry of Defense and the Administration of the space scienflflc re- State Cbmmittees of the Council of Ministers. search program is apparently centralized in the Interagency Commission for Interplan- The formulation of policy and plans con- etary Communications (ICIC) of the Astro- cerning space research is probably highly nomical Council of the Academy of Sciences, centralfeed and coordinated to assure rapid USSR. Space research is probably conducted decision making and efacient allocation of in a variety of Soviet research institutioIis. resources. Responsibility for the formulation The Academy of Sciences, USSR, and higher of policy and planning of space research will educational institutions probably conduct the probably continue to be allocated as follows: major proportion of the theoretical research, The ICIC will continue to develop long- whereas the ministerial institutes and insti- range policy qdplans on space scientific re- tutes of the Councils of National Economy search in accordance with broad directives and of the State Committees probably conduct issued by the Central Committee of the Com- a considerable amount of the applied research munist Party and the Council of Ministers. that concerns space. The ICIC will probably review and coordinate The launching and space vehicle develop- the plans With the State Plsnning Committee ment phase is probably administered and con- (GOSPLAN), USSR, and assign rasearch trolled by a special scientiflc-technical com- projects to various scientfffc institutions con- mittee on guided missiles and space vehicles sidered most capable of fuwllng the plans. that is beueved to exist under the Council of . Ministers, USSR, and that probably works (2) I closely with the Ministry of Defense. Some scientilic research in support of the launching and space vehicle development phase of the WZ is a Russian term made up of the lnitial .propam is Probably conducted in letters of the words meaning higher educational under the Academy of Sciences, Councils Of institution -vyssheye uchebnoye zavedeniye. 1 Since space research is a priority project, the Soviet scientiflc and technical informa- tion system will continue to support the spsce research program by the exploitation of domestic and foreign literature on space re- (3) Other agencies, such as the Communist 1 Party and the Committee for State Security, exercise Vqhg degrees of control Over the Although there is no evidence of Sino-Soviet program. Bloc coordination in space research-except The Soviet space research program appears in the field Of satelute sa at ion -the to be well coordinated at the national level USSR space eftort P~o~Wwill benefit by &e ICIC. MU^ mow coordination is some extent from the overall coordination of probably facilitated by the presence on the Bloc SCientiflC research efrected through ICIC of eminent scientists, who represent a agreements COnchded between the Academy bro& a& mtion of the scien~ccornu- of Sciences, USSR, and national academies Of nity. Coordination is apparently also achieved Bloc Countries and through sCientifiC-techni- through problem confemnces, Head Insti- cal commissions organized between the USSR tubs, and interdisciplinary research groups. and Bloc countries. DISCUSSION ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN SPACE Academician A. N. Nesmey’anov, President RESEARCH of the Academy of Sciences, USSR, indicated the official existence of a Soviet space flight Early Activities program in hls speech to the World Peace Soviet scientiflc research connected with Council in Vienna on 27 November 1953. He rocketry and space flight was organized early stated that “science has reached a state when in 1929 by a pup of Soviet scientists who it is feasible to send a stratoplane to the called themselves‘the Wroup for the Study moon, to create an artificial earth satellite.” * of Reactive Motion” (GIRD). I. P. Fortikov, This statement was followed later by an an- Ya. Perel’man, and N. A. Rynin formally or- nouncement of the creation of an Interagency ganized the group with government encour- Commission for Interplanetary Communica- agement to hvatigate and systematically de, tions. velop new rocket devices. GIRD was a part of a larger organization called the Society for Administrative Organizations the Promotion of Defense and the Aviation Administrative responsibruty for the direc- and Chernical Industries (OSOAVIAKHIM). tion of the Soviet space flight research pro- ScienWc publications hued by GIRD in- gram appears to be divided between civilian cluded contributions by I. A. Markhulov, and military authorities. Civilians direct the M. K. Tikhonravov, and Yu. A. Pobedonostsev, broad scientiflc research program; and the who are still active in Soviet rocket propul- launching and space vehicle development pro- sion and space flight activities. gram is probably controlled by the military.” In 1934, the Soviet government recognized Interagency Commission Interplandam the military potential of the rocket and for launched a government?sponw>red rocket re- Communications -To bring the direction of search program, which apparently included a the space flight scientiflc research program special commission to direct and coordinate under the centralized authority of one organi- scientiflc research in aviation technology, zation on the national level, the Soviet gov- with special emphasis upon piloted rocket ernment established the Interagency Com- planes.’ -mission for Interplanetary Communications 2 -===I I * 4 2010,57751,‘’ ’ . Figure 1 I ” ORGANIZATION AND COORDINATION OF ,SOVIET. SPACE RESEARCH uCOUNCIL OF MINISTERS, USSR - .. :0 1 0.5 7 7 5 l, Flguun 2 EII PROBABLE CHANNELS FOR PUNNlNb SOVl,Ef SPACE RESEARCH FORMULATION OF POUCY AND REVIEW OF PUNS PRO8LEM Hud Research Party Organs CONFERENCES Staff Components InatiMIs + FORM ULATlON OF Pa* Organs DETAILED PUNS -+1 *. space vehicle development phase of the pro- gram is probably administered by staff com- ponents such as the Chief Artillery Direc- torate of the Ministry of Defense.6a6 Although a considerable amount of &en- tiflc research in support of the launching and vehicle development is probably conducted'in scientific research organizations of the Acsd- emy of Sciences, Councils of National Eqn- omy, higher educational institutions, and ministries, the major proportion of such re- except for launching and space vehicle devel- search and development is probably conducted opment, and has the responsibility and au- in institutions under the aninlstry of Defense thority to secure the active participation of appropriate scientific research institutions and the State Committees of the Counc&of Ministers for Defense Technology, Radio I&c- and individuals in the space research pro- tronics, Aviation Technology,