USSR/SPACE]JENNINGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000301500016-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: December 20, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/01/14: CIA-RDP88-01070R000301500016-4
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20 December 1984
iUSSR/SPACEIJENNINGS: The Soviet Union has just announced the launch,
IPRO3RAMIthe orbit and the recovery of a spaceship. That is all
they've said. That is not unusual secrecy for them. As
John McWethy reports, the Soviet spaceship looks pretty
familiar to Americans.
MCWTHY: It is an unmanned space plane that the Soviets
have been flying in and out of Earth orbit on test
missions for the last-two years. Even to the casual
observer, it's hard not to see the resemblance to
America's space shuttle. These pictures were taken by the
Australian Navy a year ago in the Indian Ocean. Since
that test flight, the Soviets have been bringing the space
plane back to Earth in the Black Sea where they can fish
it out of the water with a bit more privacy. Experts say
the Soviet test yesterday was the fourth flight'of this
craft, which is believed to be a one-third scale model of
a real, Soviet space shuttle. U.S. intelligence sources
say the Russians have been developing a larger version for
several years and that it even more closely resembles
America's space shuttle, except that it does not have
reusable rocket engines and is slightly smaller. So what
are the Soviets up to? Are they developing their shuttle
as a platform for weapons in space for destroying
satellites and shooting down missiles? JOHN STEINBRUNER
(Brooks Institution): The shuttle that they've shown
today is not what you would do if you wanted to develop an
advanced, antisatellite capability. The issue is direct
weapons use, and there's no suggestion that this shuttle
is designed for that purpose. .
NCWE'THY:. But,military analysts argue that any such
spacecraft can carry weapons, even if it was initially
designed for other purposes. They say that is why the
Soviets have for so long been suspicious-of the American
space shuttle and why the Reagan administration will
continue to question what the Kremlin has in mind with its
version. John McWethy, ABC News, the State Department.
Approved For Release 2010/01/14: CIA-RDP88-01070R000301500016-4