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Further Reading

Interkosmos

By Charles S. Sheldon II*

1971-1975

THE INTERKOSMOS PROGRAM

1. Overview of All International Orbital Flights

While the Soviet program of international cooperation in spaceflight started later than that of the United States , it has finally achieved fairly respectable scope. The principal organization for conducting shared experimentation has been the Interkosmos Office of Moscow , headed by Academician Boris N. Petrov. Most of these flights carry the designator Interkosmos, and are an extension of the scientific portion of the regular Kosmos series. For this reason, the table of Kosmos scientific flights, already presented, summarized in that context the experiments to the extent known of the Interkosmos flights as well.

Table 2-6 which follows puts these Interkosmos flights into the context of all the known international cooperative flights to give a clearer impression of their total scope. Another section in the web site will discuss the details of negotiation and operation of the cooperative programs, while this section is more concerned within the science and technology of Interkosmos, and there will follow in the next section similar details on other flights not carrying the Interkosmos label.

It will be noted from the table that Interkosmos originally used the B-l vehicle from Kapustin Yar. Then one time, for Interkosmos 6, it used the A-2 for a recoverable flight from Tyuratam, and by Interkosmos 8 added use of the Plesetsk launch site. Actually cooperative flights from Plesetsk had come earlier, but at that time Plesetsk was not open even to Soviet Bloc technicians, so the payloads were labeled Kosmos 261 and 348. Starting with Interkosmos 10, the C-l vehicle, with higher capabilities, displaced the smaller B-l, both from Plesetsk and Kapustin Yar.

2. Interkosmos Flights of the Period 1968-1970

Kosmos 261 was identified as a cooperative flight of seven Soviet Bloc countries to study the upper atmosphere and the nature of the northern lights, including study of electrons and protons, electronics of superthermal energy, and changes in the density of the atmosphere during auroral activity. This flight in late 1968, and its follow-on in 1970, called Kosmos 348, were from Plesetsk, and at the time, non-Soviet technicians or scientists were not allowed to be present for the launches.

When the more open program began in 1969, including introduction of the designator Interkosmos, the flights were from Kapustin Yar, and representatives of the cooperating countries were able to attend the launches, with their national flags displayed, presumably adding to the festive air.

Interkosmos 1 was launched on October 14, 1969 , with equipment from the German Democratic Republic, the Soviet Union , and Czechoslovakia . The countries additionally participating in readout of data were Bulgaria , Hungary , Poland , and Romania . All seven flags were flown. The purpose of the flight was to study solar ultraviolet and X-ray radiation and the effects of these on the structure of the Earth's upper atmosphere.

Interkosmos 2 followed on December 25, 1969 with instruments from Bulgaria , Czechoslovakia , the German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union . Cuba joined the list of countries sharing in the read out. The flight studied the concentration of electrons and positive ions of the Earth's ionosphere, and electronic temperature near the payload, as well as mean electron concentration between the payload and the ground receiving stations. The principal tracking stations were 2 in Poland and 7 in the U.S.S.R.

Interkosmos 3 was launched on August 7, 1970 with Czechoslovakian and Soviet experiments. It studied the interactions between solar activity and the radiation belts of Earth, including the nature and spectrum of low frequency electromagnetic oscillations in the upper ionosphere.

Interkosmos 4 was launched on October 14, 1970 with equipment from the German Democratic Republic, Czechoslovakia , and the Soviet Union . It was in effect a repeat of Interkosmos 1 but with more sensitive instruments to measure a wider range of energies.

3. Interkosmos 5

 Interkosmos 5 was launched on December 2, 1971 at Kapustin Yar, using the B-l launch vehicle. It carried equipment built in Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union in continuation of the work begun with Interkosmos 3. It studied the composition and variations in streams of charged particles over time; recorded and analyzed the spectrum of low frequency electromagnetic waves in the range of 70 Hz to 20 kHz. The work was coordinated with synoptic readings taken at ground stations in the cooperating countries of the Inter-kosmos agreement. Actual flight operations were jointly controlled by the Russians and the Czechs. Ground stations received data from the satellite in the Soviet Union , Czechoslovakia , and the German Democratic Republic. Where the predecessor payload had carried about 1,000 transistors and diodes, it had now been possible to simplify the circuits to only about 500.

4. Interkosmos 6

Interkosmos 6 was launched on April 7, 1972 , for the only time in this program using the large A-2 launch vehicle, from Tyuratam, in order to carry a much greater weight and to permit recovery of the payload. The main purpose was to study cosmic rays, particularly pri-maries in the energy range of 1012 to 1013 electron volts, and to determine their chemical composition and energy spectrum. Additionally, the craft was to measure meteoritic particles in near-Earth space. In order to measure the cosmic rays, the payload carried a photoemulsion unit and an ionization calorimeter, weighing a total of 1,070 kilograms, manufactured in the Soviet Union to specifications developed in Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. The meteorite experiment, was developed and manufactured jointly in Hungary , the Soviet Union , and Czechoslovakia .

After launch, the payload was oriented to point toward the oncoming streams of particles. As the, flight proceeded, and data were received, the instrumentation was calibrated and adjusted to maximize the accuracy of the data recorded. After four days the flights was recalled to Earth, and recovered. The block of material was shipped to Dubna for detailed analysis. Later, it was a surprise when the trace of a 1,000-billion electron volt particle was found in the block.

A year later, more details were provided. The stack of nuclear photo-emulsion material had a volume of 45 liters, consisting of 805 layers each measuring 600 by 200 millimeters with a thickness of 450 um. Under the main stack were additional layers to measure electron-photon showers. Two spark chambers monitored the stack. The side walls of the stack had coordinate marks so that stereo-photographs could be taken of the path of any particles with an accuracy of 1 mm. A scintillation counter participated in the control of registry and indicated the charge of the entering particles, to distinguish among protons, alpha particles, and heavy nuclei. By having ten separate sections, it was possible to get some spatial resolution of the particles. An auxiliary scintillation counter helped distinguish between transiting primary particles and the shower of secondary particles. It took two months to develop the entire stack at Dubna.

5. Interkosmos 7

Interkosmos 7 was launched on June 30, 1972 in a continuation of the work begun by Interkosmos 1 and 4. The equipment was built in the German Democratic Republic, Czechoslovakia , and the Soviet Union . All three countries shared in controlling the satellite in flight. The instrumentation measured short wave solar radiation in the range of 1.200 to 1,300 angstroms, which do not reach the surface of the Earth, being absorbed by molecules of oxygen. Other instruments measured hard X-rays from the Sun, which also typically are absorbed in the atmosphere. By measuring these, many solar flares were found that are missed by terrestrial observatories. Six Soviet Bloc countries carried out studies in parallel with the flight of Interkosmos 7.

6. Interkosmos 8

 Interkosmos 8 was the first flight of flip Interkosmos name to be launched at Plesetsk, which occurred on December 1, 1972 . It carried equipment as follows: an ion trap and Langmuir probe from Bulgaria , a Mayak transmitter and recorder from the German Democratic Republic, a high frequency probe from Czechoslovakia , and an ionospheric gas discharge counter and oilier equipment from the Soviet Union . The equipment was designed to record streams of electrons with an energy in excess of 40 kiloelectron volts, and protons with an energy of more than one megaelectron volts. Specialists of all four countries were at the launch, signaling the greater openness about Plesetsk which has yet to be identified as a launch site in any Soviet public release.

7. Interkosmos—Kopemik 500

In honor of the 500th birthday of Copernicus, the number 9 was not associated with this payload, but the next in sequence became number 10 on its later launch. This ninth launch came April 19, 1973 at Kapustin Yar.

This payload carried equipment to measure solar radiation and the ionosphere. It was developed jointly by the Soviet Union and Poland . The telemetry system was Czechoslovakia . The instrumentation measured sporadic changes in radio waves of decameter range. (0.6 to 6.0 MHz). The radio spectrograph was built in Poland , and low frequency-high frequency ionospheric probes were built in the Soviet Union . Data were received at ground stations in the Soviet Union and in Czechoslovakia . Simultaneous ground observations were made in the participating Soviet Bloc countries.

8. Interkosmos 10

Interkosmos 10 was the first to use the C-l class of launch vehicle in the Interkosmos series. It was launched at Plesetsk October 30, 1973 . It carried instrumentation to determine the concentration and temperature of ionospheric electrons, using equipment from the German Democratic Republic and Soviet Union; to measure magnetic field variation, electric fields in the range of 0.7 to 70 Hertz, and electron, ion, and neutral atom fluxes in the range of 0.05 to 20 kiloelectron volts with Soviet apparatus; and to study low frequency electric oscillations of plasma in the range of 20 to 22 kiloHertz (designed and built in Czechoslovakia). It carried a Czech telemetry system and Soviet tape recording systems. Ukrainian experiments also were carried.

B. N. Petrov saw the flight initiating a new stage beyond exploratory experiments to making a concentrated attack on complex issues. He said the synoptic recording of much data would increase the value of the results 100-fold. Flight of the satellite was coordinated with launches of German-Soviet weather rockets.

9. Interkosmos 11

Interkosmos 11 was launched May 17, 1974 as the first C-l Interkosmos launch at Kapustin Tar. It continued studies of the solar ultraviolet and X-ray radiation, and interactions with the upper atmosphere. The experiments were provided by the German Democratic Republic, the Soviet Union , and Czechoslovakia . Again, ground stations in Soviet Bloc nations made synoptic readings.

10. Interkosmos 12

 Interkosmos 12 was launched October 31, 1974 at Plesetsk to continue studies of the atmosphere and ionosphere and flow of micrometeorites. Instruments were prepared in Bulgaria , Hungary , the Ger-man Democratic Republic, Romania , the Soviet Union , and Czechoslovakia . The participating nations sent representatives to the launch, and tracking was done in Bulgaria , the German Democratic Republic, Poland , and Czechoslovakia , as well as the Soviet Union . The equipment was further improved over those used in earlier flights. For example, the micrometeorites were not only counted but classified as to their physical character, energy, and destructive power, and more accurate measurements were made of the composition and structure of the neutral atmosphere.

Specifically, the micrometeorite analyzer experiment was prepared in Hungary, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia; the electron concentration was measured by a German instrument; the positive ions and electron temperature by Bulgarian and Russian equipment; the mass spectrometers by Russian and Czech scientists; the mass spectrometer calibrator in Romania; the memory unit in Germany, and the Mayak radio transmitter in Czechoslovakia.

11. Interksosmos 13

Interkosmos 13 was launched March 27, 1975 , to study dynamic processes in the magnetosphere and the polar ionosphere, carrying Soviet and Czechoslovak equipment. Coordinated ground observations were made by stations in Bulgaria , Hungary , the German Democratic Republic, the Soviet Union , and Czechoslovakia .

12. Interkosmos l4.

Flags of nine socialist states were flying at Plesetsk when Interkosmos 14 was launched on December 11, 1975 , with representatives of Bulgaria , Hungary , Czechoslovakia , and the U.S.S.R. present, since their experiments were being carried. The C-l vehicle was used to place the payload in an orbit 1,707 by 345 kilometers at an inclination of 74 degrees, and with a period of 105.3 minutes.

The purpose of the flight was to continue research on low-frequency electromagnetic fluctuations in the magnetosphere, study the structure of the ionosphere, and measure micrometeoritic intensity.

On December 20 and 21, 1975, Perry and Dalberg picked up signals on 20.004 MHz from the Mayak ionosphere beacon transmitter. Failure to pick up further signals before the end of the year implies that this beacon operates "on command".

References:

(A) SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS, 1971-75, OVERVIEW, FACILITIES AND HARDWARE MANNED AND UNMANNED FLIGHT PROGRAMS, BIOASTRONAUTICS CIVIL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS PROJECTIONS OF FUTURE PLANS, STAFF REPORT , THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE .SCIENCES, UNITED STATES SENATE, BY THE SCIENCE POLICY RESEARCH DIVISION CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, VOLUME – I, AUGUST 30, 1976, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1976,