Soviet Spacecraft In Automatic Docking

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31656, 17 April 1968, Page 11

Soviet Spacecraft In Automatic Docking

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

MOSCOW, April 16.

Two unmanned Soviet spacecraft are orbiting the earth today after spending nearly four hours linked together yesterday on the command of scientists on the ground.

The mission of Cosmos 212, launched on Sunday, and Cosmos 213, sent up yesterday, appears to be a replica of a Soviet space feat last October. Official Soviet commentators have hailed yesterday’s second success as meaning that the Soviet Union has mastered the technique of automatic docking, which, they say, is infinitely more difficult than coupling a manned spacecraft with an artificial satellite. Moscow television last night showed the two craft separating in a telecast from Cosmos 212, the active satellite, which has a camera on board. Cosmos 213, a bullet-shaped craft with stubby wings to enable it to pick up the sun’s rays for its solar batteries, was seen falling away at the command of scientists- on earth. Moscow viewers were told that the coupling took place over the Pacific Ocean. The success of the mission is considered an essential step towards building an orbiting space platform which could be used as a launching base for expeditions to the moon and the planets. Orbiting space platforms are features of both the United States and Soviet space programmes, but America has never attempted an automatic link-up and the Russians have never achieved what they describe as the easier task of doing the same thing using astronauts. The Americans have accomplished 12 separate docking operations on five flights. After the two Soviet satellites parted yesterday, they were put into different orbits, in which they will carry out unspecified space experiments. Observers in Russia assume that the scientists will eventually try to bring both craft back to earth—as they did last year with Cosmos 186 and 188. Scientific experts say the i body of Cosmos 213 could serve as a dormitory, fuel i tank or supply storage unit

in a moon-bound “sky train” launched in sections from the earth, assembled in orbit and then lobbed to the moon by a much smaller power unit than the kind required to blast all at once from the earth’s surface.

They say it also could serve as a huge cluster of workshops to provide a manned orbital laboratory, or as one of many fuel drums in an orbital “tank farm” from which long-range Soviet moonships and interplanetary probes could “top up” their own supplies to make good

energy burned off getting into orbit.

The observers suggest that Cosmos 212—probably a smaller space vehicle—might be a space “taxi” which could ferry men and equipment to a manned orbital laboratory, or carry out repairs on an orbiting “tank farm.”

The Russians have not attempted a manned space probe since the cosmonaut, Vladimir Komarov, died in the Soyuz 1 spacecraft last April. They have announced that they have solved the defects of that craft.