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Yuri Shkolenko UK m m Yuri Shkolenko SPMI m n Progress Publishers Moscow Translated from the Russian Designed by Anatoly Tsvetkov 10. A. lllKOJieHKO KoCMHieCKHH BeK Ha amnuùcKOM Hibixe This book provides a comprehensive picture of men's achievements in the study and conquest of outer space, and examines the prospects of the development of space explo- ration, and the use of outer space for the benefit of the human race. The author traces the views on the Universe held by philosophers and scholars in different ages, looks at the place and role of man in the Universe, and demonstrates the lead- ing role played by Russian and Soviet scientists in the theo- retical and practical study and conquest of outer space. He emphasises the planned, comprehensive and peaceful nature of Soviet space programmes, and examines the interaction of men and outer space from the scientific, socio-political and moral viewpoints. He also criticises the inhumane, idea- list and mystic interpretations of the space age, and reveals the lethal danger contained in the US doctrine of the militarisation of outer space. © H3naTenbcTBO «Ilporpecc», 1987 English translation © Progress Publishers 1987 Printed in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics JU 1705070000-070 014(01) -87 CONTENTS Page About the Book 6 Part One. Realities Chapter One Early History 10 Chapter Two Homo Cosmicus 24 CChhaapptteerr TThhrreeee The Universal Dimensions of Life 48 Chapter Four Spaceship Earth 64 CChhaapptteerr FFiivvee The Industrialisation of Space 82 Chapter Six The Heavenly Ecumene . . . 105 Part Two. Reflexions Chapter Seven The End and Beginning of Aelita 140 Chapter Eight Anti-Finalism 162 Chapter Nine The 'High Frontier' of the Individual 176 CChhaapptteerr TTeenn The Cosmic World of Cul- ture 193 Chapter Eleven The Universe versus Chaps . 213 Chapter Twelve The Shining Hour 227 My main purpose in life is to do < spmething useful for my fellow- men, not to live my life in vain, to propel mankind forward, if only by a fraction. That is why I became interested in that which gave'me neither bread nor power, but I am hopes that my work, perhaps sbi^n, perhaps only in the distant future, will yield society heaps of grain and vast power Konstantin Tsiolkovsky About the book Epoch-making events in the development of life and intelligence on earth often occurred gradually and imperceptibly. It took millions of years for the coelacanthine fish, crawling from one diminishing body of water to another, to grow accustomed to life on dry land, and thereby preparing the way for land animals, mammals and man. That same dry land also saw the emergence of technology, the use of spe- cially devised instruments and means of affecting the environment, the specifically human method of existence in the natural environment. It is precisely this technology, in the form of space-missile faci- lities, which has enabled life to move out into another environment, that of outer space. Such is, as one might put it, the evolutionary significance of the space age, the age that began on October 4, 1957, when the USSR launched the first artificial satellite. Cosmonautics is a multi-faceted branch of science, the embodiment of the scientific and technological revolution, drawing into itself the latest achievements in the development of new materials, fuels, and com- puters. It is linked with a large number of sciences, technological trends and social phenomena, from astronomy and astrophysics to medicine and biolo- gy, from meteriology to geography, from psychology to jurisprudence, from navigation to radio and te- levision broadcasting. It is capable of bringing both good and evil, from the observation and control of natural processes and economic activity on the planet to the militarisation of space and the danger of a space war, which would be comparable with the natural cataclysms that occur in the Universe. A manned spaceship or station, with its life-sup- port system and relations among the crew, resembles a miniature earth. And our planet, with its mineral 6 and living resources and almost five thousand million inhabitants, could be compared to a huge natural spaceship which began its orbit around the sun more than four billion years ago. The space age requires that we ponder over its complexities in order to harness its advantages for the benefit of mankind and avert its dangers. The Universe has always attracted men's attention, but this previously took the form of passive contem- plation far removed from the daily cares of men. The process of reflecting upon the significance of cosmonautics and space flight follows, naturally enough, in the wake of the events themselves, but then it begins to take the lead. The philosophical and psychological perception of space, the formula- tion of an integrated concept of the space age, its benefits and its dangers, is one of the facets of the science of cosmonautics. The author, Yu. A. Shkolenko, is a doctor of philosophy and a journalist. In his book he has com- bined reflections on the fundamental processes occurring in the space age with a lively description of the everyday, practical aspect of cosmonautics. He takes the reader into the cabin of a spaceship, into the living module of an orbital station, shows him the experiments performed by the cosmonauts, and then offers him a glimpse, through the porthole, of the earth and other nearby planets, and of worlds unimaginably remote. As a result, the reader who has never been in space and is unlikely ever to go there, has nonetheless the opportunity to acquire a cosmic view of the world and, rising above his 'earth-bound' daily life, can form a new concept of his place and role in the Universe and on earth and appreciate the need for lofty moral principles and humane forms of social existence. Vitaly Sevastyanov, Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR, twice Hero of the Soviet Union