Deputy Ministry Chief on Space Program

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

[Solntsev] Well the name space units itself conjures up visions of Star Wars, and space invaders; you are not going to do battle with space invaders, are you?

[Gusev laughing] Well, if there are such, we will first investigate who they are. However, in principle, space units are units which ensure the operations of the orbital group [orbitalnoy grupirovki] which resolve the problems of providing the armed forces with various forms of provisions, including navigational, cartographic, geodesic, communications, control, and so on. That is, that whole spectrum of tasks which today, in line with modern military concepts and modern armies, are solved more effectively by space resources, and which frequently simply cannot be solved in other ways.

[Solntsev] Tell us Yuriy Grigoriyevich, at the source of our space rocket program, as is probably in all other countries which conduct launches, there were military people, and this was primarily a military program. Today however, if we consider the relationship of scientific or civilian launches, and launches in the interests of the military, how do they correlate?

[Gusev] You are correct when you say that historically, the creation of space centers, and the first launches were carried out by the military. True, but here it must be stipulated that it was always with the participation of industry. Today, thw?e?wrw&w??interests of defense, as well as the national economy, science, and international cooperation. Today's correlation is approximately 30 to 40 percent are civilian launches, and about 50 to 60 percent, military. By the beginning of 1995 or 1996, -- and this tendency exists, and it is confirmed -- the number of launches in the interest of the national economy and defense, will be approximately equal, with an ongoing growth nevertheless, favoring civilian launches.

[Solntsev] At present, there is quite a lot of talk that we have taken a very spineless position in our military doctrine by giving ground to our, let us say, potential enemies by not being sufficiently in opposition to them, and in general, surrendering our position. As far as satellites, intelligence satellites are concerned, who has more in space, we, NATO or the United States?

9 [Gusev] I think that at present, NATO has the greatest number of intelligence satellites.

10 [Solntsev] This speaks of our weakness?

11 [Gusev] Not weakness necessarily. These are the missions that they set for their space units, or as the Americans call it, Space Command. But, in fact, if we count what there is in orbit out there, then it will be clear that the NATO group, including the United States, have more.

[Solntsev] More eh! Well, there is talk that it is possible, for instance, to steal an enemy's, or a likely enemy's, spy satellite from orbit. Is that possible?

[Gusev] Well, it is possible, in principle. Of course, I doubt if we would steal a satellite today just like that. However, the shuttle operations, and our maintenance work on the orbiting station show, in principle, that it possible to come near, to approach the satellite and load it into the compartment. True, if anyone has attentively watched the telecasts of the flight of the orbiting station, or the shuttle, or when they show the space apparatus, it is obvious that they bristle with various kinds of antennae and various kinds of instruments, that is why one would have to prepare extremely carefully for such an act.