 Gurshtein was active as an astronomer in the space program and held a number of offices in professional organizations, including Head of Council for Astronomical Education and Vice Director of the Institute for History of Science & Technology, both for the Russian Ministry of Education.As a historian of science, he has served as editor-in-chief of the "Annual on History of Science", published by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Deputy Editor-in-Chief for the academic monthly, "Nature", published by the Russian Academy of Sciences.He is also the author of several books and articles on planetology, holder of five patents, and contributor to many international forums.