IDENTIFICATION OF SOVIET ASTRONAUTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP64B00346R000100220070-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 70
• Publication Date: March 2, 1962
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 20
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R00010022007'
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2 MAR 1962
MEMORANDUM FOR: Legislative Counsel
John S. Warner
FRAM: Acting Assistant Director/SI
SUBJECT: Identification of Soviet Astronauts
1. This is in response to your request of 1 March to prepare
a memorandum relative to the Directorts 27 February statement
about Soviet astronauts to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
2. The question of whether or not Gagarin actually was the
astronaut who flew Vostok I was exhaustively studied shortly
after the flight and at that time OSI concluded that "the vehicle
launched on 12 April did in fact contain a man and that the occupant
was the astronaut Gagarin. " Our review of the facts surrounding
Titov and Vostok II appears to justify with high confidence the
same conclusion about the second event.
3. Although we conclude that Gagarin and Titov were occupants
of the Vostoks, it cannot be proved beyond all possible doubt. For
the Soviets to substitute other astronauts in the flights, an elaborate
operation would have been required to insure that all evidence available
to Western intelligence would support the hoax. Reconsideration of the
evidence fails to reveal any details which would be consistent with the
substitution theory.
4. Our position on this matter has not changed since the briefing
of the Senate Space Committee. For your information, we are attaching
a copy of the relevant paper that we prepared last July following Gagarinrs
flight.
25X1
Att:
1 copy of Validity of
12 April Event
OSI/SD/
Dist: Orig-1 fwd; 2 -AD/ SI
2-SD/SI
Approved.For Release 2004/06/24: CIA- 000100220070-4
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 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/06/24: CIA-RDP64B00346R000100220070-4
Approved For Release 2004/06/24: CIA-RDP64B00346R000100220070-4