Founded in 1965 (Government Resolution from May 15, 1965), then within the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. 

Appointed principal organisation for robotic space research and exploration in the Academy of Sciences, thus complementing manned space program. 

IKI designs and builds scientific instruments for space experiments, acts as principal organization for various scientific space projects and missions, and uses the data of space probes to deepen human understanding of space and Earth. 

IKI acronym comes from Russian “Institut Kosmicheskih Issledovanyi”, which is Space Research Institute, and is used in English as is. 

In 1986, IKI was awarded with the Order of Lenin for significant contribution to science and technology development, after successful implementation of VEGA mission to study Venus and comet Halley.