Documents / FOIA release
This is National Intelligence Estimate 11-5-61, Soviet Technical Capabilities in Guided Missiles and Space Vehicles. It was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the United States Intelligence Board on 25 April 1961. The estimate assesses Soviet surface-to-air, antimissile, air-to-air, air-to-surface, ballistic, ICBM, naval and space programs. It concludes that the first Soviet ICBM unit was probably operational around 1 January 1960. It also says there is no evidence the Soviets are developing offensive space weapons. It contains no UFO material.
“The Advance”10 pages
Table 3 SOVIET SPACE PROBES LUNIIC I b VENUS PROBE dLUNIIC II b. LUNII: Ill I. (1959 THETA) Weight (lbs.) 1418. Configuration Diameter (ft.) and Length (ft.) of Satel- lite. Cylinder with hemispherical end. length 6.67 feet, diem. eter 3.4 . 1 feet, Date ',switched Orbit Period 12 February 1901. Not yet determinable. 797 858 959 A portion of the experitnentation weight was affixed to the last stage rocket bodies, and it por- tion In special containers— a 2.7 foot diameter ejectable sphere in tjte case of Luniks I and II and a cylinder— truncated cone in the case of Lttnik III, which was probably also separated. The last stago of all three Luniks was probably essentially the same as that displayed at New York and other expositions. Shape: A cone and cylinder, 17•6 feet long, 8•6 feet In diameter. Weight of empty last stage including instrumentation: varying slightly, about 3,250-3,400 pounds. 2 January 1950 12 September 1050 4 October 1959 450 Days (around the sitn).. Impacted on moon Approx. 19 days (around the earth). Approx. :30,000 Approx. 200,000 Approx. 75 Perigee (et. mi.) Apogee (st. mi.) Inclination to Equator (degrees). Contents Not yet detertninablv. Not yet (Interminable. 0.55 to the ecliptic. Large variety of research in- struments, chemica l bat- teries, transmitters. Equipment for measuring mi. erometeerold impacts, nature or !Tact: matter. co .iitole nu. rIlation. magnetic fields. • Equipment for temperature, gravitation. radiation, and photography eiNperitnent., Instruments for measuring magnetic field of earth and :noon, cosmic rays, meteor- ites, density of matter In space, radiation around earth and moon. Radio Frequencies Used, MCS. 183.0 10.001 183 0 10.093 183.0 10 080 922.9. 10.005 19.997 71 10 . 007 20.003 70 39.086 71 70 Putt of Last Signal Inter. Soviet:, reported 02 hour. 38.4 hours of reception 'twirl.: Unknown. US• 22 February 1961. cept. Date of Satellite 1)emire. • ceptIon. Indefinite around Slta 2192:24Z-13 September 1959. Sibly 18 October 1959, UnIsnown (nth:finite around the stun. • Most of these data sire hi sed on Soviet Announcements o displays. In it few eases telemetry or other informatio u confirms experiments or dent. The \Vest's capability to Intercept transmissions from a Soviet lunar probe, especially in the lower freitnencies, is very limited. Additionally, the Soviet. probably trigger the transmitters while over Soviet territory, and pass only limited position data to the West. • The earth satellite designation assigned Ltmlk III. d Launched from a 14,300 lb. earth satellite vehicle. • A primary purpose of this event Ti t( i.e., to check Injection systeins, propulsion and gnid3nee, and racli communications Over lonw
Not linked to a story yet.
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 101 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.