The Soviet watchers : a biographical directory to western sources of information on Soviet space efforts

Space science plays a critical role in today's world, from economics to military strategy, and the coverage given this subject in the media is equally as important. While most space news coverage in the United States appears to be devoted to NASA efforts, programs in other countries deserve similar coverage as they can confer significant advantages to their respective countries. This is especially true in the case of the Soviet Union.

Being a comparatively closed society, the Soviet Union has presented a unique challenge to Western journalists attempting to cover its space program. Since traditional sources (in the Western sense) have not been available, others have had to be developed. The primary source has been the Soviet observer, an individual in the West who has made a study of the Soviet efforts and is able to comment upon these efforts publicly. Such observers have, in effect, acted as surrogate Soviet scientists for the media.

Little information is available on these observers, and almost no data were available on the topic of sources for Soviet science news. In order to correct these deficiencies, a mail questionnaire was sent to more than fifty observers to collect information for a reference directory to be used by the media and academic communities. This directory not only contains contact information on the 26 who desired to be included, but also profiles each person as to areas observed, other programs monitored, education, and other information needed to select sources for a particular story or topic. In addition, it provides a profile of a "typical" member of this predominantly male, well educated, middle-aged group.