Status report to General Konstantin Filonov Lubyanka.
Per orders of the second directorate, the focus of the space program
has been limited to the orbit of Earth.
This follows restrictions placed on Star City after the tragic deaths
of the three cosmonauts in a training accident last summer.
The intelligence being gathered by new space station Salyut-1,
under the cover of scientific research, has proved invaluable.
Western military installations previously inaccessible
to aerial surveillance are now fully monitored.
Salyut's ability to observe ICBM silos, air defenses
and strategic nuclear capabilities has become invaluable to the state.
This surveillance will proceed
as long as the program continues to receive
the support of General Secretary Brezhnev.
And with the direct supervision and guidance of the Chief Designer.
The intelligence reports he requested.
He's expecting you.
The latest on the Salyut surveillance program.
Thank you, Comrade Colonel.
That'll be all.
CHIEF DESIGNER RADIMIR SERGEEVICH PETROVSKY
Nikulov.
Baikonur needs the load analysis redone for an extra 100 kilos
on the next Salyut payload by the end of the day.
No, I'm already working on the thrust equations
for the new N-1 booster.
You'll just have to work late.
It's morning.
Poppa, let me help you.
Got the tractor running.
You can start sowing the east field now.
You fixed the tractor. You can manage the sowing.
I have the talk at the Farmers' Union, remember?
You shouldn't do that.
You're still in mourning.
Eat now.
The American ambassador to the United Nations, George Bush,
made insulting and false accusations today
regarding the world's first space station, Salyut.
Ambassador Bush claimed
that a Soviet film capsule has been recovered on American soil,
and that it is proof the civilian station is being used
for military intelligence rather than scientific experiments.
The supposed proof
- that Salyut is performing… the US… - Mom, I'm ready.
…has been discredited by Soviet officials and the broader world community.
Remember, you have Olga today after school.
I don't like my piano lessons.
You must just keep at it.
We'll find you a better teacher.
What about Tanya?
Maybe she'll come back.
She won't.
This rassolnik is good. Did you do something different?
I did a few extra pickled cucumbers.
Just a little bit more than usual.
That must be it. Improves the flavor.
Carrots are softer too.
Yes. And they were smaller, so they cooked through.
Damn, that window's fogging up again.
I wiped the glass earlier, but it's letting in a draft.
Good morning, Irina.
- You said you were gonna fix it. - I did fix it.
I'll look at it again tomorrow.
Always tomorrow.
Moscow's furious.
The botched Salyut film drop is all over the news.
And not only have we failed to retrieve our own surveillance,
but now the Americans know which assets our cameras are pointed at.
Dropping canisters of film from orbit hardly seems
like the most effective method.
As I noted in my report, it requires an engineering solution.
And yet engineering has failed to find a reliable method
to transmit the photographs
- directly from the station. - What does that have to do with me?
Last time I checked, Comrade Burkov reported to you.
Well, he's a loyalist to my predecessor.
You think he's deliberately withholding a solution?
I think he believes things were better under the previous regime.
So an example needs to be made of him.
I was entrusted by the General Secretary with bringing Star City
back in line after everything that happened on your watch.
My watch?
Well, first Mironov then Venera, now these disloyal engineers.
I ended Venera.
I ended Mironov.
And now you need to deal with Comrade Burkov,
or more drastic changes to Star City will have to be made.
One more thing.
Yes.
Irina Morozova, how's she doing?
Fine. She's fine.
She made the initial discovery of Valya Mironov's activities, did she not?
Yes, but in her eagerness to impress,
she failed to alert me at the correct time.
She has promise, I grant you, and ambition, but she lacks discipline.
So did I, at her age.
Look where I am now.
Yes.
Very impressive.
I would encourage you to consider her strengths and not only her weaknesses.
Well, it's my department so I'll run it as I see fit.
It's only a suggestion.
Good day, Comrade Colonel.
Good afternoon.
I am proud to introduce this film to you today,
highlighting the triumph of my journey as a cosmonaut
in the very place that journey began.
The communal farmland of the Rostovskaya Oblast.
Deputy Chairman Tarasov, I wasn't expecting to see you here.
Well, I wouldn't dream of missing this.
The daughter of workers. A symbol of our nation.
The film will tour the Soviet Union and then it will travel widely in the West,
showing them the Anastasia Belikova
that the governors have tried to hide from them.
…proved that sacrifice and collective strength could reach the stars.
Seems like yesterday, doesn't it?
…embodying duty, resilience and the enduring spirit
of a people united by purpose.
A purpose she shared with her husband, Aleksandr Dmietrievich Polivanov.
Their commitment to each other knew no bounds,
as did their commitment to space and country.
His ultimate sacrifice is one our people will not soon forget.
Excuse me.
…fixed on the future of our great nation,
forged in shared sacrifice
and the knowledge that we carry the light of the world…
We put the first man into space.
We sent cosmonauts to the moon.
We even tried to send them to another planet.
Who knows where that might have led us?
But now, all we're doing is looking down,
staring back at Earth so we can take photographs of missile sites.
Even you must acknowledge the difference.
So you admit that your loyalties still lie with the former Chief Designer.
There's only one Chief Designer.
Radimir Petrovsky's a KGB stooge
who can barely tell the difference between liquid oxygen and vodka.
May I remind you this conversation is being recorded.
I would choose your words very, very carefully.
I've said what I'm gonna say.
Will you sign the confession admitting to sabotaging
Chief Designer Petrovsky's efforts to modernize the Salyut space station?
You think it'll make them fall in line, but it won't.
The reason my team hasn't solved the problem of the Salyut film drops
isn't for the lack of will, and it's not insubordination.
Ideas don't just form out of thin air.
They require inspiration.
And you know there's only one person that can do that.
Stop gawping.
Back to work.
Congratulations, Comrade Stepanov.
You are now the lead engineer on Salyut-1.
Of course, Comrade Colonel.
Were you able to contact him?
He's amazed you'd even consider it.
An engineer from Star City teaching at his university.
Thank you for passing this along.
It explains my hopes for the position.
Of course, I'll get it to him.
But, Sergei, what I don't understand…
why would you want to leave here to be a professor?
I need a change.
Star City isn't what it used to be.
I'm telling you,
you're gonna be sick of borscht by the time this crop comes out.
Darling.
What?
Darling.
You have a visitor.
I see you've settled in.
Nice view.
Yes, I can almost see past the armed guards surrounding me.
Well, it's better than the gulag.
Better hurry up and get to your point, Lyudmilla.
Galina's likely in there now sharpening her knives.
Our new space station, Salyut-1, monitors the entire globe from orbit.
Has more surveillance capability than we ever could have had
with Tupolev aircraft.
So nice they're focusing on surveillance now.
Yes, well, we need a more secure system in place
for sending the surveillance photos down to Star City.
Your former engineers are dragging their feet.
So they should be.
I can't help you, Lyudmilla.
Not after what you did to my Eagles.
I did what was necessary to protect our nation, as I have always done.
Do you know, the only reason your co-conspirators are not all in prison
is because I allowed you to take the full responsibility for that fiasco.
Allowed? That's very gracious of you.
Why don't you ask your new Chief Designer to help you with your little problem?
Petrovsky.
They let him use his own name, I see.
He's…
not you.
The Central Committee know that.
I suspect that's why you're still alive.
So, I can provide answers for him to parrot to the engineers?
If not, your idyllic retirement could turn into something much worse.
I'm not a young man anymore, Lyudmilla.
I'm not concerned about my fate.
That's as may be, but Petrovsky's…
actions may harm Star City, perhaps irreparably.
So what would you have me do? I'm…
I'm under house arrest,
no way to communicate with the outside world.
Stalin threw you into the gulag for no reason.
You were starved, beaten, nearly frozen to death.
But when you were called on again, you did not hesitate.
You did what was necessary because you were a patriot.
Patriot.
I was a fool.
Well, Petrovsky is neither.
And if he's not given the results he expects,
then Star City will be broken into pieces.
Everything we have built together will be destroyed.
Darling, breakfast.
There's an algorithm on the Venera computer.
A way to downgrade high resolution images from the probe
on the surface of Venus into something that can be transmitted back to Earth.
They might be able to use that as a starting point.
The codes might still be on Salyut's comms system.
Thank you.
That's all you're gonna get from me, Lyudmilla.
My time has passed.
Now, go on. Go find yourself another fool.
The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed
that a period of unusually dry weather has affected parts of the Donets
and Volga regions.
Meteorological stations report that rainfall
has not yet reached seasonal standards…
Poppa, I'm home.
- Have you eaten? - Quiet.
- They're talking about the drought. - …temporary difficulties.
Local party committees and collective farm chairmen
are responding with decisive measures.
Many are mobilizing irrigation brigades
to ensure efficient use of reservoir and canal systems,
and pump stations are operating around the clock to sustain fields…
Poppa, we have visitors.
What?
This hour?
…enables water resources to be directed where they are needed most.
- Good evening. - Comrade Tarasov.
Apologies for the intrusion.
No, please, come in.
- Thank you. - Nastya, get some glasses.
- Good evening. - Good evening.
Please, if you follow through to the left, please.
Uh-huh.
Preliminary forecasts suggest that…
- We can have a drink. - …while yields may be reduced
in certain districts, the overall grain procurement plan of the Union
remains achievable through collective…
How can I help you?
Well, actually, I came here to speak with your daughter, Comrade Belikova.
Yes, of course.
I would like that drink though.
- Yes. - Thank you.
Brings back memories of my own childhood home in Bryanskaya Oblast,
not so far from here.
Thank you.
Yeah, I'll be in the back.
To the heroes of the Soviet Union.
Please, sit.
You and Comrade Polivanov must have grown close,
before the training accident.
I guess the saying is true.
Love comes when you least expect it.
Forgive me, Comrade.
But I'm sure a man such as yourself has better things to do
than come all the way out here for a drink.
Yes, yes.
Why am I here?
Well, let's just say that it is no longer in the best interest of the state
for you to remain here.
Nor is it in yours.
You have done everything we asked of you, Comrade Belikova.
And now it is time for us to return the favor.
I don't understand.
We need another cosmonaut to go into rotation on the Salyut-1 space station,
and we've selected you to command the mission.
Commander of the mission?
I haven't trained for it.
Well, that didn't stop you on Luna-16 and you made it all the way to the moon.
But I thought the state believed
that it was too big a risk for me to go back into space.
Well, I mean, it seems like an even riskier proposition
for you to remain here.
Comrade Belikova, is this not what you wanted?
It's all that I've wanted.
Ever since I first went up.
Forgive me,
but I don't believe you are doing this simply as a gesture of goodwill.
Wow…
You've grown quite a bit since we last spoke.
The Americans are accusing us of using Salyut to gather intelligence.
Are we?
We are protecting the Soviet Union against Western provocation.
But to prevent any further escalation,
we must convince the world of Salyut's peaceful purpose.
And if I go back up there, then--
Then your triumphant return to space as commander of the mission, no less,
will provide an…
an alternate narrative.
All right, I'll go.
Good, then that's settled.
A plane will take you from Taganrog Air Base to Baikonur tomorrow morning.
Congratulations.
Hello?
There's a reason I wanted to speak to you privately.
I don't like the way you're being treated by your superior.
She's holding you back.
But I know you have such potential, such promise.
I still have much to learn from her.
There's nothing you should be learning from her.
I was assigned to Star City after everything that happened with Venera.
To right the ship, yes, but also to shake things up.
Bring it into the modern era.
Part of the problem is these dinosaurs that have been here
for decades refuse to go extinct.
If we are to remain at the cutting edge of science,
of technology, of exploration, it's people like us…
you and I, Irina, that must control Star City.
An American agent was allowed to escape on an illegal mission,
and we're supposed to believe that Colonel Raskova knew nothing about it?
- She didn't. - Her time here is done.
I just need proof that it's in the state's best interest to remove her from power.
And you want me to get that for you?
You have a bright future here, Irina.
You're stronger and smarter than you realize.
I know what you've gone through.
How much you had to endure before you came here.
I cannot imagine that kind of…
torment at the hands of such a monster.
I don't think--
In the end, something good came out of what happened.
Your daughter, Zoya.
And I do feel that something good can come from this as well.
Those of us from Rublyovka, we must protect each other.
- It's getting late. I should-- - Of course. Of course.
Think about what I've asked.
I will.
I'll see you soon.
How long is the ride?
Not long now.
What's his story?
Anatoly Frolov.
He joined with the latest cosmonaut attachment.
So he's KGB.
Yeah, we're both assigned to work on the…
The real reason for this mission?
Cosmonaut Belikova, are you excited about your return to space?
Of course, this mission is a wonderful opportunity
for us to pursue our scientific objectives on the world's first space station.
Wave to the camera.
Firing chain is armed.
Go for main engine start.
Star City, confirm combustion chambers 11 through 17 at full pressure.
Heard. Broach two.
Ignition.
On target for Salyut-1 in T-minus two hours.
Listen, everyone.
Congratulations are in order.
With yet another successful launch,
we have once again shown the might of the Soviet Union.
But we must remain focused and resilient.
The biggest challenges are still ahead of us.
Well done.
Nicely done.
The general secretary is very pleased with how this all came together.
Thank you, Deputy Chairman.
Glad to be of service.
Where's Kirill?
I don't know.
He didn't show up this morning.
Trajectory normal. On track for Salyut rendezvous.
Soyuz, patching in comms with Salyut-1 ahead of approach.
Salyut Station, your relief crew is on the comms.
We see you, Soyuz.
Hope you snuck some vodka in your hygiene bags
because we're taking ours back home with us.
It's beautiful.
Star City, preparing phasing orbit circularization burn
for Salyut Station rendezvous.
Proceed with docking, Commander Belikova.
Fuel reactor cell is normal.
Closing rate is 0.91 meters per second.
Could you speed it up a bit? We're ready to go home.
Five meters.
Watch your closing rate.
Latch alignment looks good.
Contact one.
Contact two.
Soft capture complete.
Welcome to Salyut-1.
What are you doing here?
I'm sorry, Comrade Colonel. There's been an urgent issue with Salyut-1.
Couldn't wait until tomorrow?
I'm afraid not.
I saw that Chief Designer Petrovsky was about
to send the first Salyut surveillance photos to headquarters.
Without my sign-off?
Yeah.
I've brought them for you to review.
Better come in then.
Can I see the file?
Give me a minute. I've got something in the oven.
His name was Dima.
He was killed during the war.
Sorry, I didn't realize.
It was a long time ago.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I will make sure it gets to Lubyanka.
It's late, you should go.
There's one more thing.
Yes?
Where did you find that?
I brought it.
You were going to bug me?
I was ordered to, but I couldn't.
Petrovsky?
He wants you removed.
Well, what are you waiting for?
Sorry?
Irina Vasilievna, when the head of Star City gives you an order,
that's exactly what you must do.
I don't understand.
You will continue to report to him.
And to me, of course.
Yes, Comrade Colonel.
- Stop. You're not permitted in… - No, please. Listen. I need…
- …without authorization. - This regards official state business.
You are not permitted in.
Stepanov.
Please. Wait… This is important.
I can't really be seen talking to you.
I've already got the Night Witch up my arse as it is.
Okay. Well, then, the sooner that you agree
to do what I'm asking you, the better.
If Chief Designer were here, I'd be asking him.
Okay, you have one minute.
I need to reach Salyut-1.
Now.
Please. I need your help.
Salyut-1, this is Star City. Do you copy?
Salyut-1?
Come in, Star City, Belikova here.
Commander Belikova, it's Stepanov.
Is everything all right?
Yes.
There's a test we'd like to run on the security monitor.
That's Frolov's project.
- I'll just wake him, he's-- - Oh, no, no. No.
No.
Why not?
It's just that it… It isn't a very big test.
So you don't need to disturb his sleep.
You're not Stepanov.
Who is this?
Sergei Nikulov.
Nikulov?
Why does that sound familiar?
I'm the engineer who thought of the way
to reduce the CO2 in your suit during Luna-16.
So, you're the one who told me to stab a hole in my suit in outer space?
- Yes. I'm sorry. I was only-- - Don't be sorry, you saved my life.
I was only doing my job.
No, that's what everybody else was doing.
Now, what do you need, Sergei Nikulov?
Sergei, make it quick.
I'm switching us over to a secure channel.
Secure?
You are aware of the Venera program?
Perhaps.
Well, the surveillance technology on your station was derived
from a concept that came from the Venera mission.
Don't know what you're talking about.
Yes. Yes. No, of course.
I was going over the data that I received
from the Yevpatoria Telescope and I found something…
strange.
Strange?
Yes, and I want you to help me confirm it.
What does this have to do with Venera?
That's just what I'm trying to find out.
Just run this test.
Please.
What do you need me to do?
Set the UHF transmitter to 922.76 Megahertz.
Setting to 922.76 Megahertz.
I'm getting a signal.
Relay that signal to me, please.
Relaying.
That's data.
- It's data and it's compressed with… - With what?
What's going on?
With what, Sergei?
What is this? What are you getting me into?
- I will not-- - One more minute. Please. Come on.
I need a calendar.
Who has a…
- Yeah, just one… Just one moment. - Hey.
Do you read me? Are you there?
Come in.
- No, that's not possible. - What's not possible?
Sergei.
Sorry. Sorry.
- Sergei. It's over. You cannot… - No. Please. Please.
Are you there?
- Do you read me? Come in. Come in. - Hello, hello, hello.
Yes, yes. I'm here. I'm here.
Where is the signal coming from?
Comrade Belikova, there is only one other spacecraft that is capable
of transmitting data on that frequency using my algorithm.
No.
- It can't… It's not possible. - I don't know.
But somehow, if it wasn't destroyed,
then its return to Earth would be right about…
now.