EXTREMELY EARLY SOVIET REPORT ON SATELLITES.
TIKHONRAVOV, MIKHAIL KLAVDIEVICH. 1900-1974. [The Research on the Problem of Creating an Artificial Earth Satellite.] [Moscow]: Scientific Research Institute No. 4, March 29, 1955 but with additions to April 2, 1955.
445 pp. Mimeographed typescript. Numerous diagrams, including two folding, 3 pasted-in gelatin silver print photographs. 11½ x 8¼. Bound in blue cloth (considerably frayed). Number 2 from an edition of 5; declassification stamps dated January, 1963.
A top secret preliminary report issued only a few months after Sergei Korolev proposed the development of an Earth-orbiting satellite to the Minister of Defense, thus initiating the Sputnik 1 project. The equivalent American project was not announced until July of 1955. Tikhonravov identifies himself as principal investigator at the close of the introduction; he went on to become a pioneer of spacecraft design under Korolev at OKB-1. Chapter include, "Launching a Satellite into Orbit," "Perturbations of a Satellite's Orbit," "The Problem of Descent," "Approximate Characteristics of a Radio Communication Complex," "Grounding of Preliminary Requirements for Optical Means of Measuring Satellite's Coordinates," "The Simplest Automatic Satellite," and, chillingly, "Probable Accuracy of Hitting the Target when Throwing Loads from Orbit."