 What reason would the Russians have to drive the Americans off?
General Finogenov notified Major Winship that the underground blast was scheduled for the following morning. "Ah, it's all Russian. Air currents whisked it away and plastered it against a riveted seam of the dome. "The only way you can check is to extrude it," Lt. Chandler said, "and if it does extrude, you've ruined it." The Soviet base was situated some ten miles toward sunset at the bottom of a natural fold in the surface. At that point, the best pathway angled left and made an S-shaped descent to the basin. And there's only seven of them right now. "Finogenov had a clay samovar sent up.
 They want the sole ability to conduct research on the moon.
 The two stations are much too close to one another.  They want the sole ability to conduct research on the moon.  They know the Americans are ahead of them technology-wise.  They don't trust the Americans, the same way Winship distrusts them.