tion or to the successful operation of production 

 processes. 63 



To illustrate the nature and variety of basic S&T 

 problems, let us offer the following examples from 

 the Tenth Plan. There are programs devoted to the 

 development and expanded use of numerically-controlled 

 machine tools and the development of modern equipment 

 for mechanizing and automating local materials han- 

 dling and warehouse operations as well as timber cut- 

 ting. Other programs focus on raising the unit ca- 

 pacity of machines and equipment, especially for the 

 chemical, power, and ferrous metallurgical industries. 

 These include building large ammonia producing plants, 

 and turbines and generators with a capacity of 500, 

 800, and 1000-1200 megawatts; developing ultra-long 

 1500 kV DC and 1150 kV AC transmission lines and nu- 

 clear power plants equipped with 1500 megawatt reac- 

 tors; and designing special excavating machines with 

 40, 65, and 180 cubic meter bucket draglines for coal 

 mining. 



On another level are basic problems in the devel- 

 opment of furnaceless metallurgy, spindleless spin- 

 ning, and shuttleless weaving. New methods of pro- 

 ducing metal and high-grade steels, including oxygen 

 converters and electric smelting, are the subjects of 

 other programs. At the Oskol Electrometallurgical 

 Combine technology will be introduced for the produc- 

 tion of steel by direct reduction of iron ore without 

 blast furnace processing. Still other programs con- 

 centrate on the production of more efficient materi- 

 als, such as synthetic resins and plastics. Develop- 

 ments in laser technology and in industrial robots 

 also figure among the basic S&T problems. 



Finally, problems in applied research — rather than 

 development or innovation — include programs on the 

 use of scientific principles of superconductivity and 

 magneto-hydrodynamics, space and oceans research, mo- 

 lecular biology, and seismology. A basic S&T problem 

 in the field of public health concerns the develop- 

 ment of methods and means for the prevention, diagno- 

 sis, and treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Other 



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