Soviet Space Forces

Soviet Space Forces
Unit name	Soviet Space Forces
Native name	Войска космического назначения
Start date	1967 (as Strategic Rocket Forces branch), 1982 (independent service)
End date	1991
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Independent armed service (after 1982)
Type	Space force
Role	Space warfare, Satellite operations, Ballistic missile defense, Space surveillance
Garrison	Moscow
Garrison label	Headquarters
Notable commanders	Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shatalov

Soviet Space Forces. The Soviet Space Forces were a distinct branch of the Soviet Armed Forces responsible for military space operations, established as an independent service in 1982. They managed the Soviet space program's military assets, including reconnaissance satellite networks, early warning satellites, and anti-satellite weapon systems. The forces played a critical role in the Space Race and the Cold War competition for space supremacy against the United States Space Command.

History

The origins of the Soviet Space Forces trace to the late 1950s, following the launch of Sputnik 1 and the creation of the Strategic Rocket Forces under Mitrofan Nedelin. Initial military space activities were managed by the Chief Directorate of Space Assets within the Strategic Rocket Forces. Key early milestones included the first photoreconnaissance satellite, Zenit, and the development of the R-7 Semyorka launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The increasing importance of space for national security, highlighted by programs like the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, led to its separation from the Strategic Rocket Forces and establishment as an independent service by decree of the Ministry of Defence (Soviet Union) in 1982, during the tenure of Dmitry Ustinov.

Organization and structure

The Soviet Space Forces were organized under the Main Directorate of Space Assets, with its headquarters in Moscow. Operational control was exercised through the Central Command Post near Noginsk, coordinating various specialized directorates and centers. Major subordinate elements included the Chief Directorate of the Missile Attack Warning System, the Main Centre for Reconnaissance of Space Situation, and the 45th Independent Special-Purpose Army, which managed launch and testing facilities. Key operational sites were the Plesetsk Cosmodrome for military launches, the Baikonur Cosmodrome for heavier payloads, and the Dunay radar stations for space tracking.

Spacecraft and launch vehicles

The forces operated a vast fleet of military spacecraft, primarily launched on vehicles derived from intercontinental ballistic missile designs. Workhorse launch systems included the Kosmos and Tsyklon rockets from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, and the heavier Proton from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Satellite constellations encompassed the Zenit and Yantar series for optical reconnaissance, Tselina for SIGINT, and the Oko system for missile early warning. Communication was provided by satellites like Molniya and Raduga, while navigation relied on the Parus and GLONASS systems.

Early warning and space surveillance

A primary mission was providing continuous missile attack warning and monitoring objects in Earth orbit. The Oko satellite system, using satellites in highly elliptical orbits, was the space-based component, complemented by a network of ground-based radars like the Daryal radar and the Dnepr radar. For space surveillance and space domain awareness, the forces operated the Okno optical tracking station in Nurek and the Krona space object recognition system, which included radar and optical telescopes. Data was fused at the Main Centre for Reconnaissance of Space Situation to maintain a catalog of all tracked objects.

Anti-satellite and space defense programs

The Soviet Union pioneered the development of anti-satellite weapons, known as the Istrebitel Sputnikov program, which tested co-orbital interceptors launched by the Tsyklon rocket. The Polyus spacecraft was a later attempt to create a combat space station armed with a megawatt laser. Ground-based missile defense systems with potential anti-satellite capabilities, such as the A-35 anti-ballistic missile system and the later A-135 anti-ballistic missile system protecting Moscow, were also under the purview of the space forces, representing key elements of the broader Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile effort.

Legacy and successor forces

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Soviet Space Forces' assets, personnel, and missions were inherited by the Russian Federation. They were initially reorganized as the Military Space Forces (Russia), a branch of the Russian Armed Forces. Subsequent reforms saw them merged into the Strategic Rocket Forces and later the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. In 2015, the current Russian Space Forces were re-established as a component of the Russian Aerospace Forces, continuing the missions of space surveillance, satellite launch, and missile warning from sites like Plesetsk Cosmodrome and using upgraded systems like the Kupol early warning constellation.

Category:Military of the Soviet Union Category:Space forces Category:Space agencies