• Forum
• SITREP
• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security

• Space

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Public Eye

July 1969 Rumors in Moscow Point to Manned Soviet Expedition

In early July 1969, Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman began a semi-official tour of the USSR (which was sponsored by the Soviet-American Relations Institute in Moscow), which lasted from July 2 through July 10.[91] On July 4, there was a special celebration at the US embassy in Moscow in honor of Borman's visit, as well as for the American Revolution holiday in the US.  The fete was large and extensive (1,000 people attended[92]), and included not only journalists and diplomats, but also representatives of the Soviet government (ranking officials included First Deputy Foreign Minister Vasiliy Kuznetsov, Presidium Secretary Mikhail Georgadze, as well as Georgi Korniyenko, head of the American Desk at the Foreign Ministry).  Additionally, there were space program participants as well, including cosmonauts Gherman Titov, Konstantin Feoktistov and Georgi Beregavoi, as well as Academician Anatoliy Blaganravov, then Chairman of the Commission for Space Research.[92]

Out of the swirl of this celebration, a number of news stories appeared about Soviet space aspirations of the near term-not in the US media, but in the European.  So far two pieces of reportage-German in origin--have been uncovered that were the results of conversations had at the July 4 US embassy celebrations.

On July 6, 1969, the newspaper Welt am Sonntag published a report entitled "Moscow full of rumors:  Moon landing before USA?"  that indicated the USSR was going to send a manned lunar expedition:

 "The speculation about a possibly forthcoming Soviet flight to the Moon did not fall silent on the weekend, either.  There is, however-as UPI reports from Moscow-no official Soviet comment on this.  But no denial, either.  Theoretically the 'Moon launch window' is still open for the Soviets until Tuesday [July 8, 1969].  A Soviet journalist, who is an expert in space flight affairs, confirmed at a US embassy's reception in Moscow that there were plans for a Moon landing even before the Americans.  Cosmonaut Beregavoi refused to give any comment.. At the press conference held by the three astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins in Houston on Saturday evening, nobody talked about the rumors from Moscow."[93]

As one can see, UPI (that is, inferring Henry Shapiro) as well as a "Soviet journalist.expert in space flight affairs" (that is, inferring Victor Louis) were involved in this news cycle.  However, there was an amplification of this Welt am Sonntag news story one week later.  The article-entitled "Moscow's missed opportunity"--provided more details about the state of mind in Moscow following the N-1 accident, and very interestingly, provided some of the potential reasons as to why the mission didn't happen. 

This time, Victor Louis is quoted directly, although in an un-attributed manner:

"'We have missed the last opportunity of getting ahead of the Americans up there.' This was the bitter comment of a Soviet space flight journalist, who one week before (WamS reported it) had confirmed plans for a Soviet manned Moon landing before the Americans in an unofficial conversation.. Last Tuesday the Moon launch window for the Soviet Union closed-with the exception of a small slit.  Wednesday evening this slit was no longer extant, either-and thus no chance, either, for a Soviet victory in the race to the Moon landing.  For now the  'lunar launch window' is open over Cape Kennedy.. Officially it had at no time been confirmed in Moscow that it was 'in the finish.'  But the 'Cordon Sanitaire' was not tight enough despite all security measures.  A few details leaked out first into a small circle of experts, then also into the public.  And these details showed a picture of feverish activity which had only one goal: To get ahead of the Americans, as once with the first satellite and the first manned spacecraft..

There has been a mishap!  That is the opinion prevailing in Moscow.  If one bears in mind that just the technical equipment for the Moon landing comprises more than nine million components, each of which has to function for itself, and all of which have to work with each other, there is the possibility of such a mishap in every minute [of a launch].. What one hears in Moscow only in private conversation is what Wernher von Braun said in all openness: 'We have clues to it that the Soviets wanted to be on the Moon before us or at least at the same time.  Probably some kind of failure led to the delay.'."[94]

The rumors via Victor Louis did not go unnoticed by the US intelligence network.  (Indeed, in a side-bar article presented here entitled "The Russians Have an Outside Chance," I provide more information about what US intelligence expected in late June 1969 from the Soviet manned lunar effort in the nearest term, and it also shows that apparently soon after the 5L rocket was taken to the launch pad, rumors began circulating in Moscow about a Soviet "space spectacular.")