1.  He was involved in the Soviet space programme.

2.  The growing pressure to reduce state expenditure on space projects continued to stimulate Soviet space agencies and scientists in their search for alternative sources of financing.

3.  At Spring Army Surplus north of Houston, he stocks medals, models of Soviet space rockets, statues and more.

4.  But Russian space officials have been reluctant to say goodbye to this last major symbol of the Soviet space era, despite its age and blemishes.

5.  By official accounts, the heroic air force major gave speeches at such meetings trumpeting the triumphs of the Soviet space program.

6.  China especially wants space-capsule technology developed during the glory days of Soviet space exploration a quarter-century ago.

7.  Included are segments about KGB spies, the Soviet space program, its competitive sports industry and propaganda machine.

8.  It was the height of the Cold War, and some suggest that a Soviet space craft crashed and was secretly retrieved in a hush-hush operation.

9.  It was, after all, the pride of the Soviet space program, and maps and phone lists were considered top secret.

10.  Some are willing to live with Juri-Gagarin-Strasse, named for the Soviet space pioneer, but in other places his name has been erased.