A Program called Galaktika
In November 1967 there was a special meeting of MoM,
with the Soviet Academy of Science, OKB directors, high ranking officials of the Military and the Politburo ministers.
Their goal was to determine the future of Soviet Space program after the manned Lunar landing for coming five-years plans.
The Military wanted low orbit manned space station for reconnaissance, to counter the USAF MOL program.
Also the Academy of Science was interesting in manned space station for science in space.
So they came to common Agreement and it was authorised under name "Salute Study"
Codename under civilian OS-7k and military OSP-7k
First flights had to happen in the beginning of the Ninth five-Year Plan 1971-1975,
with extension of the program during the Tenth five-Year Plan 1976-1981 if successful.
The next point was the limitation of the LOK/LK system in landing one cosmonaut on Moon surface.
The Academy of Science was eager to send geologists to the Moon.
Sergei Khrushchev announced the 7K-SM concept, which could replace the current Soyuz LOK/LK design in 1970s
as the L3M a Three man for moon and as Six man spacecraft 7K-SM for low orbit.
While Vladimir Barmin proposed the construction of a manned lunar base.
Those Lunar projects were authorized, combine under name "Columbus Study“,
First flight had to happen in the beginning of the Tenth five-Year Plan 1976-1981
Next point was demand of the Academy of Science of manned Mars/Venus missions.
In case the Soviets lost the Moon race with the Americans,
They need something impressive to counter, Cosmonauts on Mars would be the thing they need.
Besides, even if they beat the Americans to the Moon, it would make an interesting long term goal.
The 7K-SM concept as L3M needed an upgraded N1 rocket with Hydrogen Engines in the upper stages anyway.
This could be use to launch heavy interplanetary spaceship parts into low earth orbit.
But it needed High Power Rocket engines, either Nuclear thermal or Nuclear Electric.
This project study were authorised under name "Alita Study", the first step would specify the needed hardware during Ninth five-Year Plan 1971-1975
If selected as Program, Hardware R&D construction start in Ten five-Year Plan 1976-1981,
The First Aelita mission would then hopefully fly during the end of the Eleventh five-Year Plan 1981-1985.
What had to be build for Mars and Venus exploration probes was also defined.
The first Probes would already fly during eighth five-Year Plan 1966-1970.
A International participation and cooperation program called Interkosmos, provided Instruments for Soviet Space Probe.
Possible option of bring astronauts from allies and other socialist nation to OS-7k space Station.
The entire Planning of Human exploration of the Earth Orbit, Moon, Venus and Mars was combined under name Galaktika (Galaxy).
One copy of the meeting's conclusions made an extraordinary journey in 1970.
a Dosier ripped in pieces, it landed into a waste paper basket in a MoM office,
Salvaged partially by a cleaning lady [1] working for CIA, over Moscow US embassy to Unites states of America to CIA HQ in Langley.
Footnotes
OKB = Opytnoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro, meaning Experimental Design Bureau.
[1] Allot of the best spies are cleaning ladies at the enemy offices, the German invented this practice in 19 century…
