NOVA | NOVA Short | Inside a Soviet Spy Station

NOVA was given unprecedented access to a restricted Russian space facility for the filming of "Astrospies." In this clip never before seen on American TV, watch a cosmonaut demonstrate the reconnaissance systems on a fully intact, never-launched Cold War spy satellite called Almaz.

Watch "Astrospies" Tuesday, February 12 at 8pm ET/PT on most PBS stations:
http://www.pbs.org/nova/astrospies

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• cold
• war
• spy
• spies
• satellite
• russian
• soviet
• space
• race
• nova
• pbs
• short

[nedsaabdickerson]

Almaz was the first space station, thanks to Almaz and Mir we have refined space technologies in the current ISS. Yes it is easy to talk shit about something one doesnt understand. And yes it was in sapce in the 1970's. The program was very expensive. One of these had a 30mm cannon on board, fired only once.

[Membrane556]

I heard the gun on Almaz was because the US had plans for a military version of the Apollo LEM.

Also there where plans to use the shuttle for military purposes.

The Soviets knew of these plans and added a 23mm gun.

The entire station had to be aimed at the target so it's defense value was limited.

The old Apollo LEM probably could stay out of the line of fire while the shuttle could in theory carry a chemical laser like ABL or launch a series of robotic vehicles.

[bestamerica]

'

what is ussr russia own problem spying on america,,,

america can use powerful laser / missile to hit and destroy ussr russia spy station DOWN

[datzfast]

@myso2008 i dont think so, i like the greed that brought me EVERYTHING

[datzfast]

@GeRzAwN only greedy people are in power.

[datzfast]

@Membrane556 um, if you can point a telescope im sure you can point a gun, useless, in space it would work better than on earth.

[zoeyvoey]

Love the zoom

[stybarrow]

Smithsonian mag recently ran a story on Russian "Star Wars". the Kremlim was spending out of control and scared to death of what they thought the Americans were up to. Gorbachev put the brakes on it.

[terrychan88880]

cool

[HazeGreyAndUnderway]

each country was pretty much neck and neck in terms of production and timing, its just that Russia was in such a hurry and got all their stuff up first while America was concerned with checking and rechecking everything, almost to the point of stupidity.

[GeRzAwN]

I am an American and I agree.

[GeRzAwN]

I don't think they should die. But I do agree with what you said; that too many greedy people are in power. If we were in power we could really change things. That is something nice to think about.