{"id":7829,"date":"2024-12-14T10:01:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-14T06:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/?page_id=7829"},"modified":"2025-01-10T13:52:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T09:52:18","slug":"k-2-k-3-k-4-rocket-observatories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/k-2-k-3-k-4-rocket-observatories\/","title":{"rendered":"K-2, K-3, K-4: rocket observatories"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n\n

In the 60s-70s in Armenia, under the leadership of prof. G. Gurzadyan<\/strong><\/a><\/span> created the K-2<\/strong>, K-3<\/strong> and K-4<\/strong> rocket observatories<\/a><\/span>, which were launched on high-altitude VERTICAL (R-5V)<\/strong> rockets, reaching an altitude of 500 km. The K-2<\/strong> observatories were intended to study the Sun in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum 3000 – 912 \u00c5 and in the soft X-ray region (1-100 \u00c5), and K-3<\/strong> and K-4<\/strong> – for studying stars, galaxies and nebulae in the UV range of 3000 – 500 \u00c5. Scientific instruments were placed on a biaxial stabilized platform, in a head capsule separated from the rocket.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

R-5B ballistic missiles were launched from the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome. After separation from the rocket at the end of the active phase, the astrophysical probe was stabilized along three axes using a gas propulsion control system with an accuracy of about 1\u00b0, and the platform ensured pointing of instruments to the Sun with an error of no worse than 10 arc seconds for a time of approximately 570 seconds. After completing the flight program, the probe with scientific equipment and experimental materials descended to Earth using a parachute system.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
R-5V rocket on the launch pad.<\/span><\/td>\nFlight diagram of the rocket observatory.<\/span><\/td>\nThe first rocket launch with scientific equipment created in Armenia was made from the Kapustin Yar cosmodrome on February 15, 1961 during a solar eclipse.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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The K-2 … K-4<\/strong> observatories were launched repeatedly in the period from the 60s to the mid-70s, about 10 launches were carried out (RSC Energia<\/strong><\/a><\/span>). The ROS-5<\/strong> observatory under the INTERKOSMOS<\/span><\/strong><\/a> program (PC Polet<\/strong><\/a><\/span>) was launched 3 times in the late 70s, using more powerful R-14U<\/strong> rockets.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On observatory platforms consisting of a biaxial gimbal, except for the kit of numerous scientific instruments, solar or stellar orientation sensors were also installed, which made it possible, in interaction with the observatory’s tracking system, to stabilize scientific instruments with an accuracy of the order of 20 … 30 arc. sec. for first starts and up to 6…10 arc. sec for the latter.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Observatory K-2<\/span><\/td>\nInstallation of the observatory in the return capsule. The capsule lid is folded back<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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The mass of the observatory with installed scientific equipment was about 200 kg with overall dimensions dimensions 900\u00d7900\u00d7900 mm. The work schedule of the K-2 observatory was as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • At an altitude of about 100 km, the rocket fairing was dropped.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • At an altitude of 120 km, the container lid was opened, the observatory platform stabilization sensors captured the Sun and stabilized the platform on it, after which the program began observations.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • On the descending branch of the trajectory (at an altitude of approximately 140 km), the observation program <\/span>ended and the container lid closed.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • After some time, the container was separated from the last stage of the rocket and with the help of a parachute <\/span>system fell to the surface of the Earth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Observatory K-3<\/span><\/td>\nObservatory K-4<\/span><\/td>\nObservatory ROS-5<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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\u00a0<\/td>\n\u00a0Basic parameters of the K series observatories.<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • The duration of the program operation of the observatory during the passive phase of the rocket flight is about <\/span>570 sec.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Platform rotation angles along two axes \u00b130 degrees.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Solar stabilization accuracy is no worse than \u00b130 arc. sec.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rough solar sensor field of view \u00b130 degrees<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accurate solar sensor<\/span>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 – field of view \u00b120 arc. minutes<\/span>
    \n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 – resolution 5 arc. sec.<\/span>
    \n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 – lens focal length 2100 mm<\/span>
    \n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 – linear zone 3.2 arc. min.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Instrumentation and purpose of scientific equipment of one of the configuration options for the K-2<\/strong> observatory:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Lyman-alpha camera – to obtain images of the solar chromosphere in the Lyman-alpha line <\/span>hydrogen. The focal length of the camera is 500 mm, the lens entrance aperture is 70 mm.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Coronal slit spectrograph of the Rowland system – for obtaining spectrograms of the corona and <\/span>solar chromosphere in the range 500-1300 \u00c5 with a spectral resolution of 0.1 \u00c5.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Chromospheric slit spectrograph of the Rowland system – for obtaining spectrograms of the solar chromosphere<\/span>
      \nin the range of 700-1800 \u00c5 with a spectral resolution of 0.1 \u00c5.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Out-of-eclipse coronagraph \u2013 for obtaining direct images of the solar corona in the wavelength region <\/span>2000-3000 \u00c5 and to a distance to the solar disk of about 24 solar radii. Inlet diameter <\/span>holes 16 mm, equivalent focal length – 122 mm.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Helium monochromator \u2013 for obtaining monochromatic images of the Sun in the 304 HeII and <\/span>584 HeI. Entrance hole diameter \u2013 50 mm, focal length \u2013 250 mm.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Pinhole cameras (120 pieces) \u2013 for obtaining direct images of the Sun in the soft X-ray region <\/span>(shorter than 60 \u00c5).\u00a0<\/span>The focal length of the cameras is 150 mm, the angular resolution is up to one minute of arc.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Grazing incidence X-ray spectrograph – to obtain a spectrogram of the solar corona in <\/span>wavelength range 10 \u2013 150 \u00c5, spectrograph dispersion is about 3 \u00c5\/mm.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \u00a0<\/p>\n

      The results of all devices were recorded photographically, while in most devices, in order to eliminate frictional damage to the emulsion layer, the method of transverse movement of flat cassettes was used, which made it possible to record the results of all exposures of a given launch on a small area of \u200b\u200bphotographic film.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Return capsule after landing<\/span><\/td>\nTelemetry records obtained on May 15, 1979 during ground tests of the ROS-5 observatory at a dynamic stand in Garni<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\nAlthough one of the main purposes of rocket observatory flights in those early years was to test various devices, many features of solar ultraviolet and X-ray emission were also studied, numerous solar maps were obtained in these bands, and at least two discoveries were made:<\/span><\/p>\n
    \n
  • First detection at an altitude of approximately 400 km of a powerful solar X-ray flare with a flux of 1010 photons\/cm2 sec in the 8-60 A band, during the launch on October 1, 1965 (Gurzadyan, 1965);<\/span><\/li>\n
  • X-ray emission was detected that was not associated with sunspots, namely, from an extremely strong prominence, <\/span>accidentally occurred during observation (flight of October 3, 1970).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

From G. Gurzadyan\u2019s working materials on rocket observatory projects<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

From the annual report for 1970 on the first and second launch of the K-2 observatories of the year<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Publications<\/a>
Publications on the results of flights of the K-2 observatory<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n\n

After the first successful launches of rocket observatories, options began to be explored for placing these observatories on automatic Earth satellites with the transmission of scientific information to Earth via radio telemetry channels.<\/span><\/p>\n

K-6 – solar orbital observatory<\/span><\/strong>
\nHardware composition:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Short-wave spectrometer BC (300-700 \u00c5).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Long-wave spectrometer DS (700-1800 \u00c5)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • PC spectrometer (10-130 \u00c5)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • X-ray spectrometer RA (1-3 \u00c5)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • X-ray spectrometer RB (3-10 \u00c5)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • X-ray photometer RF (1-60 \u00c5)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The total weight of the complex is about 150 kg, <\/span>overall dimensions \u2013 diameter 1000 mm.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    K-7 – stellar orbital observatory Main task:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Spectrometry of stars in the range 912-3500 \u00c5<\/span> up to the seventh magnitude and with a spectral resolution of about 5 \u00c5<\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Photometry of stars up to the ninth magnitude in the region 912-4000 \u00c5<\/span> using five light filters.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Mainly on K-<\/span>7 is a mirror telescope with a main mirror diameter of 300 mm. The two tasks posed above are solved by creating two modifications of the K-7 – K-7A and K-7B.<\/span><\/p>\n

      K-7A<\/strong> was designed to solve the first of these tasks – spectrometry of stars. The problem was solved using two spectrometers operating in the ranges 912-1500 \u00c5<\/span> and 1400-3500 \u00c5<\/span>. The spectrum was scanned by the daily rotation of the UOS-3 satellite. There was no software search and star guiding.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \nK-7B<\/strong> was intended for photometry of stars through broadband light filters. A special scanning system located in the focal part of the telescope carried out sequential measurements of the light flux passing through a given filter from a given star. Each range had its own separate radiation receiver (PMT).<\/span><\/p>\n

      K-7 in both versions was to be installed on universal orbital stations (UOS-3 or UOS-M). The expected weight of one set of K-7 is about 150 kg, the overall dimensions are about 1000 mm in diameter.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Publications:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • G.A.Gurzadyan, A Powerful Solar X-ray Flare, Doklady Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR, 43, 28, 1966.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • G.A.Gurzadyan, E.A.Kazarian, M.N.Krmoyan, R.A.Epremian, Rocket Astrophysical Observatory K-2, <\/span>Doklady Academy of Sciences of Armenian SSR, 53, 224, 1971.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • G.A.Gurzadyan, K.V.Vartanian, Solar X-Ray Source Unassociated with Sunspots, Space Science <\/span>Reviews, 13, 731, 1972.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      \u00a0 In the 60s-70s in Armenia, under the leadership of prof. G. Gurzadyan created the K-2, K-3 and K-4 rocket observatories, which were launched on high-altitude VERTICAL (R-5V) rockets, reaching an altitude of 500 km. The K-2 observatories were<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7829","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7829\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosmo.yerphi.am\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}