K-2, K-3, K-4: rocket observatories
Creatio
n and launch of rocket space observatories of the K series during 1961-1974 (about 10 launches), the first launch was carried out in 1961 and was intended to study ultraviolet, soft X-ray radiation of the Sun. In addition, during 1977-1979, 3 launches of rocket solar observatories ROS-5 were carried out under the INTERCOSMOS program.
PROCYON: orbital observations from the COSMOS satellite
In the early sixties, the Foton Central Design Bureau (KOMZ) together with the Progress Central Design Bureau began work on the PROCYON astrophysical satellite, the scientific director of which was Grigor Aramovich Gurzadyan. The flight experiment called KAMERTON to test the precision orientation system was successfully carried out on the KOSMOS-309 satellite (11/12/1969).
ORION-1: orbital observatory at the first space station SALYUT
The ORION-1 astrophysical observatory was launched into orbit on April 19, 1971, as part of the world’s first manned space station, SALUT. The observatory was designed to obtain photographic spectrograms of stars up to 5m in the UV region of the spectrum 2000-3000 A with a resolution of 5 A (at a wavelength of 2600 A).
The second set of the ORION-1 astrophysical observatory was installed on board the SALYUT-2 space station in 1972, but due to a number of reasons the station was not launched into orbit.
ORION-2: space orbital observatory on the SOYUZ-13 spaceship
On December 18, 1973, the ORION-2 astrophysical observatory was launched into near-earth orbit in the USSR. It was installed on a manned transport spacecraft SOYUZ-13, specially modified for this purpose. The main goal of the experiment was to obtain photographic ultraviolet spectrograms of areas of the starry sky in the wavelength range of 2000 – 3000 Å.
ALTAIR: X-ray observatory on the METEOR satellite
The ALTAIR X-ray telescope was installed on the METEOR 1-16 satellite launched on 05.03.1974.
Precision stabilisation system for the telescope of the ASTRON satellite
The automatic astrophysical observatory ASTRON (KrAO and Laboratoire d’Astronomie Spazialein Marseille, France) was launched into a highly elliptical orbit on March 23, 1983. The main instrument of the observatory is a UV telescope-spectrometer with a primary mirror diameter of 800 mm. A precision telescope stabilization system (±0.3 arcsec) was developed for this observatory at SKB Granit.
GLAZAR: observatories at the MIR station, the QUANTUM and CRYSTAL modules
On March 31, 1987, the GLAZAR-1 observatory was launched into orbit on the KVANT astrophysical module to operate as part of the MIR orbital station. The goal was to obtain direct ultraviolet images of the starry sky in the wavelength range of 1200 – 2000 Å using a 400-mm telescope.
The GLAZAR-2 observatory was installed on board the KRISTALL module and launched into orbit as part of this module on May 31, 1990. Having the same scientific objectives as GLAZAR-1, unlike the first observatory, it could operate in automatic mode, including with the orbital orientation of the MIR station.
Accurate sun sensor: satellite ELEKTRO
The Precise Sun Sensor (PSS) was launched into orbit on October 31, 1994 and successfully operated as part of the service equipment of the geostationary meteorological satellite ELEKTRO (VNIIEM).
INTERPLANETARY STATION “PHOBOS” (1988) – Scorpio – X-ray telescope for the station (IKI RAS), PZK – Unit for one of the station’s instruments (IKI RAS), Terek – Orientation sensor unit for the station’s solar X-ray telescope (FIAN).
Last Updated on 2024.12.14