The role of Space military units

in first artificial Earth satellite launch

V.A.тПТПvkin

The first artificial Earth satellite was launched on October 4, 1957. It made an indelible impression on the whole world and opened the space era. In 2007 this occasion had a particular sense as it was 50 years since the day when the whole world stood still waiting for signals from space which had been inaccessible either for a man or for machinery. So our country was in the forefront of forthcoming great achievements.

Assessing those past events it is necessary to note that our country solving the problem of space exploration rested upon military men. They bore the brunt of preparing and performing those important works on their shoulders. The initial stage of rocket engineering development was managed by the Commanders who had participated in the Great Patriotic War. Their great experience and talent for organization enabled them to create unique equipment and machinery in the shortest time. The first artificial satellite was launched and its flight was controlled by on-duty crews of space military units created for this purpose.

In the middle of the fifties, besides satellite and carrier rocket creation, the military, scientists and industry specialists solved two highly important problems: building a test range to launch the first space vehicle, and creating a Command Measuring Complex (CMC) to control the first artificial satellite flight and subsequent space vehicles in future. Huge forces were involved in solving these problems. Design statements for building the technical platforms, launching pads and housing estates, measurement centers, buildings, facilities and other objects of future Scientific-Research Test Range 5 (now cosmodrome Baikonur) were developed by Research Institute-4 of Ministry of Defense.

Lieutenant-General of the Artillery Alexey Ivanovich Nesterenko who became famous during the Great Patriotic War where he commanded formations of Guards mortar units at various fronts was appointed the first Chief of the test range. The headquarters, political department, services and military units of the test range were formed in the shortest time. This enabled him together with Baikonur Chief Constructor Colonel-Engineer Georgiy Maximovich Shubnikov to organize construction of required objects without delay.

The experience of Kapustin Yar test range was used to the utmost in creating a new range. A large group of experienced engineers and range commanders were appointed main leading and engineering positions of Scientific Research Test Range-5. All of them had their baptism of fire during the test launches of operational-strategic rockets R-2 and R-5. Many of them took part in works on gathering equipment and documentation at German test ranges and at the rocket engineering plants right after the end of the War. New test range was also staffed by graduates of F.E.Dzerzhinsky Military Academy.

Officers with suitable qualities who gave their consent to serve under trying climatic conditions were transferred from all branches and kinds of military forces without any restrictions.

The main peculiarity of new test range was its considerable extent. Objects were situated in five Kazakhstan regions, the total area of which was equal to about 2.5 million hectares. An impact area of warheads was at Kamchatka peninsula. In spring, 1955 a great construction work started up all over the territory of the test range with the date of putting the objects into operation by the end of 1956. During the period from the 10^th of April till the 10^th of June, 1955 eight military construction battalions, the total number of which was equal to 3000 soldiers and officers, began working in the area of building the main base of the test range complex; a great number of equipment and facilities were concentrated there.

The test range was built under excessively trying natural and living conditions which were aggravated by the limited terms of putting objects into operation.

In February-March, 1956 construction of test range measurement centers began along with expansion of works at the main base. Construction works encountered many problems as it was necessary to carry building materials by motor transport and even by aircraft covering large distances. In September, 1956 despite all the difficulties seven measurement centers were accomplished together with two radio control centers and a base of the first stage impact.

On May 15, 1957 State Committee signed an Act on putting the first launching complex of test range into operation. The first R-7 rocket launch took place the same day. Thus it took one year and four months of intensive work to build the first launching position.

Altogether by the beginning of R-7 rocket test launches the following objects had been built: launching position on site #1, mounting and testing complex on site #2, mounting and assembling department on site #2A, concrete road to site #1, railway access routes, water supply with three lifting stations, and fire-fighting tank system, power lines, central point of communication and common-timing system services, receiving and transmitting radio centers, three radio control points, nine measurement centers in the area of the first stage impact, retransmission point in Irkutsk and six measurement centers at Kamchatka peninsula, the aerodrome and dozens of other auxiliary objects.

Command measuring complex construction was also a difficult and important task as trajectory measurements and ballistic calculations had to be carried out. The very fact of launching an artificial satellite to orbit could not be fixed without them. Lacking the data from artificial Earth satellite (AES) one could not evaluate the functioning of onboard equipment and receive scientific information about space and its influence on living creatures and equipment.

CMC was designed, staffed and equipped in the shortest time. The task of CMC design was set by Resolution of Council of Ministers of the USSR issued on January 30, 1956 and fulfilled by Research Institute - 4 of Ministry of Defense. By April, 1957 the inner structure of CMC was defined. It consisted of Scientific Coordination and Computation Unit (SCCU), Center of control and coordination works of Instrumentation complexes, communication facilities and common-timing system services (CMC Center), 13 subordinated Command measurement points (CMPs), and Communication center (CC). At the time of the first AES launch SCCU, CMC Center and CC were situated at Research Institute-4. All Command measurement centers were deployed at the target places situated in the USSR from Krasnoye Selo to Kamchatka. They allowed measurements along the whole length of expected flight trajectory of AES.

Formation of CMC military units began with careful selection of personnel and assigning the Chiefs. Major General A.A.Vitruck was appointed the first Chief of CMC Center. At the end of the War he was a member of Military Council of the Tank Army and from 1955 and up to this appointment he headed the political department at Research Institute-4.

Difficult and important task fell to the share of the pioneers. By the beginning of October, 1957 despite uninhabited and sometimes semi-desert territories the top priority launching facilities of the test range and technical means of CMPs had been deployed, personnel had been taught and prepared for work.

On October 4, 1957, the test range central console operator Lieutenant B.S.Chekunov marked the dawn of new space exploration era by turning the start key. That day artificial Earth satellite was launched into orbit. On October 4, 1957, it was the personnel of a number of CMCs and CMPs who received confirmation of the fact of AES flight having heard transmitter signals received by short-wave radio-receivers. Four CMPs carried out trajectory measurements of the second stage of the first AES carrier rocket.

So, works on the first AES launch confirmed the decisive significance of space military units in preparing for the launch, launching and controlling the spacecraft flight with high quality, timeliness and efficiency. The whole course of events preceding that epochal event confirmed the correctness of decision taken at that time about the leading role of Ministry of Defense establishments. That role was carried out by military specialists being realized on the basis of scientifically grounded decisions with enthusiasm and patriotic sense of high responsibility.

Later it enabled to realize manned flights, explore the Moon, Mars, and Venus, to perform complicated experiments in outer space, to launch an unmanned spacecraft of shuttle-type "Buran" orbital complex and many other projects. A valuable contribution was made by space military units.

The space military infrastructure created in the middle of the fifties which included test ranges (later called cosmodromes), CMC units (later called G.S.Titov Principal Test Center), means and forces of Rocket Attack Warning, Anti-Rocket Defense and Space Control form nowadays the basis of Space Forces.

Today Space Forces are modern dynamically and progressively developing hi-tech branch of Russian Armed Forces promoting activity of Russian Armed Forces, other Ministries and Departments in space in solving a wide scope of problems of state defense and security.

They were formed due to objective necessity originating from the present world tendencies towards expanding the role of space in providing defense of vital state interests in economic, military and social spheres. Space Forces have a rich history and clear development prospects. They fulfill their duties with high quality. Facing the future with confidence we will try our best to strengthen defense and security of Russia.