Talking with Stas Klimov, PhD, Russian Space Agency - I.K.I. -

Dr Stanislav Klimov is one of the very important russian scientists, between the Space Research Scientists is one of those people who really
made something important for his Nation and for the international scientifc community. Reading his answers everybody could easily realize it and understand what he has done and what he is doing at the moment, especially in the radio waves research in the space.
LoScrittoio.it is no less than very proud to publish this interview.

FG

1) FLAVIO: Stas, just to know you better, could you please tell us
something about you and your school and University courses?

STAS: I was Born on 27 June 1937 in Tula region (120 km from Moscow), SSSR.
1944 1955 Primary school and gymnasium in Moscow.
1956-1959 Soviet Army Antiaircraft Defence, radar system.
1960 - 1966 Dipl. Physicist (Radiophysics) in Department of Physics, Moscow
State University.
1967 / 2000 at Department of Space Plasma Physics, Space Research
Institute (IKI), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia: Scientist,
Head of Laboratory for Electro-Magnetic Emission Investigation (LEMEI).
1984 Ph.D. of physics-mathematics, 1994 Doctor of science of
physics-mathematics.

The Principal Investigator (PI) of the vector DC electric field experiments
aboard Kosmos 484 (1972) and Kosmos 721 (1975), DC and ULF/ELF wave
experiment aboard Mars-6,7 (1973), AC ULF/ELF wave experiment aboard
Intercosmos-10, being Intercosmos-10 Project Scientist.
The PI of the combined wave diagnostics wave and field experiments on the
high-elliptical with apogee 200000 km Prognoz-8 satellite (1981), Vega
(Venera-Halley comet) -1,2 (1984-1986) and Prognoz-10 (1985) and Co-PI of
that of Phobos-1,2 (1989). The combined wave diagnostics includes the
simultenious measurements and spectral analysis of electric and
magnetic fields, plasma currents and AC partical fluxes.
The Co-PI of Mars-96 the ELISMA wave consortium, the Scientific Manager of
the ASPI (field and wave experiment) on the high-elliptical with apogee
200000 km INTERBALL-1 satellite (in flight) and the WEC Cluster-II wave
experiment Co-I.
The Co-PI of the field and particle SPRUT-VI experiment onboard MIR Station
(1999-2000), PI of the OBSTANOVKA (Environment) and the TRABANT
(Sub-satellite) experiments, Co-PI of the SPRUT-VII and the MODUL-M
experiments on the Russian Segment of the International Space Station.
The laboratory (Stas leads ) also includes the electrostatic and
magnetic cleanliness and EMC group. The leader of Scientific Program on the
First Scientific-Research School Satellite "Kolibri-2000".
I have about 120 publications in the scientific literature. Subjects of
scientific interest: Waves in solar wind; solar wind interaction with
planetary magnetospheres and comet; magnetospheric convection and
magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling; electromagnetic sounding of planets and
comets; electromagnetic pollution.

2) FLAVIO: In these days, 12 April, it was the International Kosmonautic
Day, the day that Yury Gagarin became the first man in the sky, orbiting
around our Earth. He was the first man able to see Earth from outside,
probably one of the most beautiful thing may happen to see. I perfectly
remember that day and how many times happened to me to watch the sky trying
to imagine what Yuri could see. I was 6 and was already extremely
interested in space things.
How do you remember that day? Did you are already involved in space
research in any way?

STAS: 12 April 1961 I was 23.
I worked in research laboratory (not connected with space research) in
Moscow and studied in Moscow State University. I was also radio amateur and
exactly in the morning 12 April I finish to integrate "miniature" receiver
in soar-dish by using the transistors. During the first switch on I
received Moscow Radio with the information about Yury Gagarin flight.
All people stopt work and hear the information "flight pass normal". The
most emotion moment was after information that Yury Gagarin successfuly
landing. Many many people in Moscow came to the Red Square and other square
and organize meetings. At the evening during my move in University I saw
very happy people (and big trafic problems, though in Moscow centre I use
metro). Practically one week in Moscow was "Brazilian Carnival".
12 April 1971 was born my younger son Anton.

3) FLAVIO: Every now and then some people say that both american and
russian did fly other men before Gagarin and Glenn but never came back to
Earth. What is your opinion about, or do you know anything for sure?

STAS: In Soviet and Russian newspapers and magazines I was not read about
the manflight before Gagarin and I have not the information about this from
my friends,who were having a contact with real people which participate in
preparing and testing of kosmonauts. In the preparing and testing of
spacecrafts were participated many specialists (scientists, engineers,
medical staff, pilots, military people, etc) and during this work on the
ground it is possible that was exist some catastrophe and some people was
dead. Before Gagarin flight, you know, was launched spacecrafts with dogs,
monkeys and mannequin (mannequin had a name: Ivan Ivanovich). On the first
steps of space research was used military rockets with main goal - delivery
atomic bombs exactly to real point on the ground. The reliability of this
rockets was very high and in all cases came back to Earth!
Now this speculation is just bread for journalists.

4) FLAVIO: I have the pleasure to understand that MIR has again men
onboard. Can you tell us the real MIR situation in order to mantain good
scientific works and how long?

STAS: Yes, now on the MIR station operate two Russian kosmonauts. Together
with Austria, Germany, Poland, Russian, Slovakia, and Ukrainian colleagues
I participate in the SPRUT-VI experiment (Please read article related,
somewhere in this issue).
In this experiment for the storage scientific information we changed 2.2
GigaByte hard disc. Two days ago kosmonauts remove full hard disc (and will
delivered it to the Earth) and installed a new one. We are happy. For us
was very surprising that the measurements of dc magnetic field is good
(absent the saturation of instrument and noise is not more than 12
nanotesla). Now we have understood that is possible to use orbital station
for "space weather" research. The Russian goverment included in the Federal
budget some money for use MIR in 2000 (and maybe longer). Now kosmonaut
have found the split through which air slowly go out and close split.