Documents / FOIA release
This CIA-distributed JPRS report, dated 1 April 1993, translates an Argumenty i Fakty interview by D. Makarov with V. Ivanov, commander of Russia's Military Space Forces. Ivanov discusses the effects of the Soviet collapse, control complexes transferred to Ukraine, staffing and funding problems at Baykonur, and civilian uses of space. On UFOs, he says northern sightings studied by an institute coincided with Plesetsk launches, but notes three unexplained radar objects near Baykonur about five years earlier.
“Cooper”1 page
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
Document 11 of 19 any, finally, or not? 18. [Ivanov] I shall begin with an example. When I was the chief of a space vehicle launching site, a general came to me and introduced himself: the chief of an institute created especially to study these phenomena. We sat down and talked. It turned out that all his data on flights of unidentified objects in the North completely coincided in time with the launches conducted in Plesetsk. The fact is that the North has one peculiarity. It is that the atmosphere there has unique properties. Launches in Plesetsk can be seen even in Novaya Zemlya. 19. There was a case about five years ago when three objects passed somewhat to the side of Baykonur at a high altitude. They were clearly visible on the radar screen. We still do not know what they were, but it is certain that they were not airplanes. 20. Like everyone else, I am interested in this problem. It is simply that I cannot deny the possibility of the existence of UFO's as many people do. 21. [Makarov] What can space do for the man on the street? 22. [Ivanov] It not only can but already is giving us a great deal. Space equipment for communications, navigation, observation, weather support, and scientific purposes makes it possible with great effectiveness to catch fish, search for minerals, draw geographical maps, warn of danger and rescue people who have suffered from disasters, and manufacture new medical preparations and metal alloys. Even now all a geologist or even a plain tourist has to do is take a small and, incidentally, inexpensive instrument in order, with the help of the GLONASS space navigation system, to know his location at any time. Incidentally, when the Americans conducted the Desert Storm operation, the troop commander said then that the division commanders were the first to assess the advantages of space communications and navigation. They were put out in the desert and told to find the coordinates of the meeting place, and with the help of portable navigation devices they arrived at the precise place at the appointed time. 23. But the main thing space can help with is bringing people together. When we experience its limitlessness, coldness, and emptiness, the need to join forces to study and inhabit it inevitably arises of its own accord.
Not linked to a story yet.
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 3 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.