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(this first post will soon be updated with spacecraft and mission details)
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RadioAstron Newsletter Number 2
June 22, 2011
======================
1. RadioAstron Spacecraft Status
We are happy to report that all the tests of the RadioAstron spacecraft
are successfully finished. The satellite with the 10-meter space radio
telescope is planned to be shipped from Moscow to Baikonur on June 24.
The launch is scheduled for July 18, 2011, 2am UTC, on the Zenit-2
rocket. For the case of bad weather, a few other days for launching are
available until the end of July.
You can enjoy a few nice photos of the space radio telescope at the
Lavochkin web site:
2. Ground support
The spacecraft will be controlled from two sites in Russia, Bear Lakes
and Ussurijsk. The tracking station in Pushchino is tested successfully
and ready for operations. The following radio telescopes are planned to
participate in the first interferometric observations -- fringe search
-- after successful engineering in-orbit-checkout phase: Arecibo,
Badary, Effelsberg, GBT, Medicina, Noto, Svetloe, Zelenchukskaya.
More details could be found in the Radioastron User HandBook
http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/documents/rauh/en/rauh.pdf
which will be updated soon with the most recent orbit.
Some news from the time I was a little away:
Roscosmos:
Zenith/Spectrum-R Delivered to the Launch Pad
:: 16.07.2011
Russian Observatory Intended to Study the Universe Reaches the Targeted Orbit
:: 18.07.2011
Russian astrophysical observatory Spectrum-R has reached the targeted orbit.
The scientific spacecraft successfully separated from the Fregat-SB upper stage at 10.06 a.m. MSK. Spectrum-R was injected into orbit with altitude of about 340 thousand km.
The launch of Zenith-3M rocket with Fregat-SB upper stage and Spectrum-R occurred from Baikonur’s pad 45 on July 18, at 6.31 a.m. MSK.
Spectrum-R, developed under Radioastron project in the framework of Russian Federal Space Program, is intended to study the Universe. The aim of the mission is to use the space telescope to conduct interferometer observations in conjunction with the global ground radio telescope network in order to obtain images, coordinates, motions and evolution of angular structure of different radio emitting objects in the Universe. Scientists also expect to obtain more information about pulsars and interstellar plasma, black holes and neutron stars in the Milky Way. The spacecraft's operational lifetime will be no less than five years.
Spectrum-R was built by Roscosmos’ company Lavochkin R&D. Scientific payloads were developed by the Astro Space Center of Russian Academy of Sciences’ Lebedev Physical Institute, as well as by international partners.
Roscosmos PAO
Spectrum-R Mirror Deployed
:: 23.07.2011
Orbital operations with Russian astrophysical observatory Spectrum-R which had been launched from Baikonur on July 18 continue successfully.
Radiotelescope mirror has been successfully deployed on July 23.
According to telemetry data obtained in Lavochkin R&D, the scheduled operations are carried out in full scope.
Spectrum-R, developed under Radioastron project in the framework of Russian Federal Space Program, is intended to study the Universe. The aim of the mission is to use the space telescope to conduct interferometer observations in conjunction with the global ground radio telescope network in order to obtain images, coordinates, motions and evolution of angular structure of different radio emitting objects in the Universe. Scientists also expect to obtain more information about pulsars and interstellar plasma, black holes and neutron stars in the Milky Way. The spacecraft's operational lifetime will be no less than five years.
Spectrum-R was built by Roscosmos’ company Lavochkin R&D. Scientific payloads were developed by the Astro Space Center of Russian Academy of Sciences’ Lebedev Physical Institute, as well as by international partners.
Roscosmos PAO