Editing Soviet space program (section)

====Reactive Scientific Research Institute (RNII)====
{{main|Reactive Scientific Research Institute}}
In 1933 GIRD was merged with GDL<ref name="RSB_GDL" /> by the Soviet government to form the [[Reactive Scientific Research Institute]] (RNII),{{sfn|Baker|Zak|2013|p=6}} which brought together the best of the Soviet rocket talent, including Korolev, Langemak, [[Ivan Kleymyonov]] and former GDL engine designer [[Valentin Glushko]].{{sfn|Siddiqi|2000|pp=7–8}}{{sfn|Baker|Zak|2013|p=9}} Early success of RNII included the conception in 1936 and first flight in 1941 of the [[Korolyov RP-318|RP-318]] the Soviets first [[Korolyov RP-318|rocket-powered aircraft]] and the [[RS-82 (rocket family)|RS-82 and RS-132 missiles]] entered service by 1937,{{sfn|Chertok|2005|p=167 vol 1}} which became the basis for development in 1938 and serial production from 1940 to 1941 of the [[Katyusha rocket launcher|Katyusha multiple rocket launcher]], another advance in the reactive propulsion field.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pobedonostsev |first1=Yuri A. |title=On the History of the Development of Solid-Propellant Rockets in the Soviet Union |journal=NASA Conference Publication |date=1977 |pages=59–63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ruQqAAAAIAAJ |publisher=National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Scientific and Technical Information Office |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Greatest World War II Weapons : The Fearsome Katyusha Rocket Launcher |url=https://defencyclopedia.com/2016/02/20/greatest-world-war-ii-weapons-the-fearsome-katyusha-rocket-launcher/ |website=Defencyclopidea |date=February 20, 2016 |access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Siddiqi|2000|p=9}} RNII's research and development were very important for later achievements of the Soviet rocket and space programs.{{sfn|Siddiqi|2000|p=9}}{{sfn|Chertok|2005|p=164 Vol 1}}

During the 1930s, Soviet rocket technology was comparable to Germany's,{{sfn|Chertok|2005|pp=167–168 Vol 1}} but [[Joseph Stalin]]'s [[Great Purge]] severely damaged its progress. In November 1937, Kleymyonov and Langemak were arrested and later executed, Glushko and many other leading engineers were imprisoned in the [[Gulag]].{{sfn|Siddiqi|2000|pp=10–11}} Korolev was arrested in June 1938 and sent to a [[Sevvostlag|forced labour camp in Kolyma]] in June 1939. However, due to intervention by Tupolev, he was relocated to a [[Sharashka|prison for scientists and engineers]] in September 1940.{{sfn|Siddiqi|2000|pp=11–14}}