Space Surveillance System Described

This document is a 1990 JPRS report detailing the operations of the Soviet space monitoring system, known as SKKP. The report is based on an article by Lieutenant Colonel A. Dokuchayev for the newspaper KRASNAYA ZVEZDA. The system is described as a high-tech facility tasked with monitoring the 'cosmos' and tracking over 20,000 objects in orbit, including active and inactive satellites and space debris. The narrative highlights the evolution of the system from the 1960s, noting that initial tracking methods became inadequate, leading to the development of a more robust system involving the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Air Defense Troops. The report emphasizes the high level of professionalism required by the personnel, who maintain 'personal files' on high-flying objects to determine their coordinates, capabilities, and behavior. Specific examples of the system's utility are provided, such as the tracking of the U.S. reconnaissance satellite Ferret-D and the monitoring of the re-entry of the American spacecraft Atlantis in the spring of 1990. The document also touches upon the human element, profiling several officers and specialists who operate the center, noting their educational backgrounds and the rigorous standards for service. The report concludes by reflecting on the importance of the system in the context of global space exploration and the ongoing need for monitoring, even in an era of disarmament, to ensure security against potential accidents or threats from space.