SALYUT: Soviet Steps Toward Permanent Human Presence in Space

Foreword As the other major spacefaring nation, the Soviet Union is a subject of interest to the American people and Congress in their deliberations concerning the future of U.S. space activities. In the course of an assessment of Civilian Space Stations, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) has undertaken a study of the presence of Soviets in space and their Salyut space stations, in order to provide Congress with an informed view of Soviet capabilities and intentions. The major element in this technical memorandum was a workshop held at OTA in December 1982: it was the first occasion when a significant number of experts in this area of Soviet space activities had met for extended unclassified discussion. As a result of the workshop, OTA prepared this technical memorandum, " Salyut: Soviet Steps Toward Permanent Human Presence in Space. " It has been reviewed extensively by workshop participants and others familiar with Soviet space activities. States Anatoliy Dobrynin, requesting any information concerning present and future Soviet space activities that the Soviet Union judged could be of value to the OTA assessment of civilian space stations. The result of this request is appendix A of this technical memorandum: " The Soviet Salyut Space Program: Space Station, Spacecraft, Support, and Training Facilities " is an official summary of Salyut space station activities, provided to OTA by Dr. Balayan, Vice-Chairman of the Intercosmos Council of the U. S. S. R. 's Academy of Sciences. OTA appreciates the cooperation of Ambassador Dobrynin and the Soviet Academy in providing this information. This appendix is of particular interest in that such information is seldom provided to American agencies through official Soviet channels. Appendix B is a paper prepared for OTA by Geoffrey E. Perry, head of the Ketter-ing Group in England. This paper, " Soviet Space Stations: Achievements, Trends, and Outlook, " provides an independent view of Soviet accomplishments in this area; it is based, in part, on the Kettering Group's long-term monitoring of audio communications between the Salyuts and Soviet ground stations. Those individuals acknowledged in appendix C provided information during the course of the study and/or reviewed the draft report.