Interview topics discussed include: family background; early education; undergraduate studies in astronomy at Moscow State University where he worked with Joseph Shklovsky and with Valerian Krassovsky; aurora research at Laparska Station; Sputnik project; IKI (Space Research Institute), Moskow; observation of Project Starfish in 1962; Galperin's seven satellites of Cosmos 3, 5, 26, 348 and Aureole 1, 2, 3; cooperation with France for Intercosmos satellites; trip to Paris in May 1967; politics resulting in his placement as head of his department by Roald Zinurovich Sagdeev; interaction with Albert Abubakirovich (Alek) Galeev; NASA interest in IKI.