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
T 45 Earliest Capability Date These dates represent our estimate of the earliest pc:zit:lc future time period in which each specific evei,i. amid be success- fully accomplished. We believe that several could have been accomplished in 1959 or earlier, if the Soviets had chosen to do so. Based on our uncertainly as to specific Soviet space objectives as well as competition between Soviet programs, we do not estimate aceomplishment of every one of these objectives within the specified time periods. Unmanned Earth Orbiting Flight: 15,000-20,000 pounds, low orbit Military satellites Communications Weather surveillance Force deployment and mapping Unmanned Lunar Flight: Satellite Soft landings Landing and exploration (Tankette) Manned Earth Orbiting Flight: • Glide-type vehicle recovery Maneuverable (minimum; exo-atmospher- le; conventional propulsion) Orbital rendezvous (conventional propulsion) Maneuverable outside atmosphere (nuclear propulsion) Space platform (50-100 tons) Manned Lunar Flight: Circumnavigate Satellite Landing 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961 1965 1963 1963 1965 1968 1968-1970 1966 1967 1970 Space l'rogram Objectives Table 5 POSSIBLE SOVIET SPACE ACTIVITIES • The specified time periods for manned accomplishments are predicated on the Soviets having previously success- fully accomplished a number of similar unmanned ventures.
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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.