POSSIBLE LOCATION FOR SATELLITE LAUNCHING SITE IN COMMUNIST CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP61-00391R000200220005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 2, 1958
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2001/08/09: CIA-RDP61-00391R00020MO66 -
p/Guthe t as
B 58
Deputy Director/Intelli-90we
Possible Location for satellite Lae nehing Crist China
You are, of course, aware that the
oink in China. 25X6A
First Secretary
China is preparing to
tested roquireaeeents for ICBM launching
and geographic factors togetier reveal a Probable location at
the first so-called Chinese earth satellite might be la ed.
Include Soviet
missiles.. Soviet launching equipeaent,, and Soy
uppw
tin
A transplanted Sputnik may be expected to be propelled. into orbit in
the three previous Soviet sputniks Ia
co, said? with Soviet help,
report of 29 JU1Y stater
. The aeogr&Ay Division of
rhiile studying pos&.bilitio s for Missile test rimes in C ist
Ch se" earth satellite
equipsn.
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 Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CIA-RDP61-00391 R000200220005-0 2/
4. Assuming that the announced event is to be a single
erform ance, Soviet cooperation probably would not include the con-
rent ICBM launching base. Instead,, a Soviet
mobile train developed for the operational deployment of ICBM missiles
night be used. It is estimated that a Soviet ICBM mobile train would
be capable of transporting, '10 to 110-foot long missiles, possibly
four or more large and heavy 6o-foot liquid oxygen transporters per
missile, a number of tank cars of liquid fuels, as many as 10 or 13
peer generator cars weighing as mgt as 113 tons each, and an
indeterminate number of cars for personnel and other support. In
only one area of China proper can a Soviet specialized train move
into the country on Soviet wide-&a We tracks. Beyond the gauge-change
points at *anchouli or Sui-fen ho, a mobile launching rain would have
to be adapted to standard xiuge, or the equipment on the train would
have to be transferred to Chinese rolling stock. Sven if this were
done, movement of the heavy laaunchinZrain over low capacity stretches
of Chinese track would be a difficult task. On the newly-completed
Trans-Mongolia railroad, however, the gauge change at Chi-ring is
well within the Chinese border.
5. Reasonably level terrain would be necessary for the develop-
ment of rail spurs to service the satellite launching area and the
mobile launching train and for installation of ground support facili-
ties. The steppes of Inner Mongolia north of Peiping meet the
terrain requirements -- they are level to rolling, short-grass covered
plains.
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 Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CIA-RDP61-00391 R000200220005-0
trumentation in
ndtt ' of
ever g", s+ater
rea -- about 2 to
to dorm to eat
ensile meter impact rules Ottt Pol
northern 1 ehuria. T
P t -china , areu
7. Otlra*ar launchin ;
Supple mix
on tlo *tjwr hewed.,
$ r sin i locationai
i-ni> arem are adv oUa
litiss Al
points to the wrtheast-
of course
ty precau
aforeed, while at the mt~uw tiifte the location
icing -- s. little more then 200
ratio ai a` equi.r efts
e missile laonening Within the next few t.hs,
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 Approved For Release 2001/08/09 CIA-RDP61-00391 R000200220005-0
considered in association with the invariables of Chinese geography,
suggest the strong possibility of a launching in the Mongolian steppe
northwest of Peiping. Aside from the propaganda benefits to the Bloc
of a successful satellite launching from this location, Western
leaders might obtain firm evidence of Soviet capability to utilize
mobile trains for the operational deployment of ICBMs.
OTTO Z. GUTS
Assistant Director
Research and Reports
aclosure
my Map of Comunist China,
Terrain and Transportation, with
overlay showing possible area of
sputnik launching (No. 25+59, 1-57)
Approved For Release 2001/08/09 CIA.-RDP?61-00391 R000200220005-0
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