SOVIET EYE IN THE SKY AIMS AT US

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R001400080001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 9, 1969
• Content Type: NSPR

DOVFU, DYp-proved For Release 2001/03/04 :'CIA-RDP80-
STATE NEWS
18,266
?d~T 9, 1969
4
STATINTL
' Some of these are taggea by blast surveillance their com-'
The Soviet Unions recent intelligence analysts as space '
launch of its 300th Cosmos ,snoopers." plex electronic sensingsystemsI
satellite since March, 1962, sThe United States can detect other activities of
triggers this query: T U has made yital significance to U. S. in
Has it required 300 scientific no move to protest the sus- telligence.
satellites to find out about the- pected fleet of Soviet space
earth's magnetic field, its "spies." It has no proof that The Gemini and Apollo,
Russia could not discount, and camera - equi s cecraft
pI
cosmic rays, its upper atmos- '
besides, the shoe is on the other,
phere and cloud cover, the sun's ' both manned and unmanned,
radiation? foot, too. have proved U. S. ingenuity in
America has its own coterie
U. S. space Intelligence snapping sharply defined photos
sources answer this way: Not; of "detectives" in space and, of earth from space, with such
nearly that many satellites were like Russia, is planning others. detail that roads and even ob-,,
Neither nation is violating any
needed to gather knowledge o[' jects such as autos can be
these phenomena which Russian law or code, for none has been, singled odt.
i'prescribed. The only existing
seienti:,ts claim is vital to the
is one, while great secrecy, sur-i
design and building of tomor- space treaty so far
row's Soviet space stations and ! which forbids space powers or
rounds an upcoming new family
interplanetary ships. I potential ones from detonating` of space surveillance satellites,
The logical conclusion of nuclear test devices In the it is known some already are
space Intelligence experts is atmosphere or space. Redi being tested and others are in'
that many of the 300 Cosmos China is not a signatory, so' the development stage.
satellites hoisted aloft by Rus- she violated no law or treaty some are equipped with still
sla are surveillance vehicles: by setting off a three-megaton cameras, others with television,
placed in orbit to keep an eye, nuclear blast In the atmosphere, receivers and 'transmitters to]
,.'on activities at U. S. military', recently. beam pictures back to earth;
bases and spaceports. The U.S. Air Force developed : receiving stations already used.,
(The National Aeronautics the Samos and Midas surveil-; successfully during the Apollo
and Snare Administration. in. lance satellites reasonably; manned space. flight series.
.. ,., -,.....,-, w.v?.... aa0 laWIGLLGU awe.. ?W14u~JG1b
tent with military intelligence; more complicated version Air Force Base_ Calif-. into
t-entrai mieiagcuoF~ 1+gi:111;y4 al. 'roaay a satellite with the! look down on every region of.%6
two dogs aboard for nearly a This spy-in-the-sky is part of
month of earth orbit in February the Vela Project-the develop.
and March of 1966. And Cosmos ment of means to detect clan-
186 and 188 achieved the first destine nuclear weapons test-
automatic rendezvous and dock- lag. It has three major phases
ing of two unmanned craft fly. - -Hotel, Sierra and Uniform.'
ing in space during November They can be remembered best
JON Of 1967. this way: Hotel starts with
However,after all the Cosmos' H, for high; Sierra starts with
flights whose missions were ex-' S for surface and Uniform;
plained in some detail by thei starts with U for .underground.
Russians there stillaiecount-' While Vela Hotel satellites,
less others s w in arch orb t -
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