Astronomy Space Science 1976-1983
Significant Activities in Soviet Unmanned Flight Programs:
1981-83
The main chapters of this text provide information on Soviet unmanned flight programs (space science, space applications, and military space activities) for the period 1976-80 in conformance with the pattern of 5-year studies which CRS has prepared for the Senate since the early 1960's. Since this edition of the 5-year update has taken additional time to complete following the 1981 death of Dr. Charles S. Sheldon II, who had spearheaded preparation of the earlier reports and was to have written this version, the authors decided to prepare the following supplementary chapter to bring the volume up to date through December 31, 1983.
SPACE SCIENCE
Space science was fairly active in both 1981 and 1983, but there were no space science missions launched in 1982. No spacecraft were sent either to Mars or the Moon, although four were sent to Venus. There were two observatory class satellite launches, and three smaller satellites.
This section does not discuss several satellites which are sometimes classified as science: the launches of amateur radio satellites (Radio 3-8, launched on a single booster in 1981; Iskra 1 launched with the Meteor-Priroda satellite in 1981; and Iskra 2 and 3, deployed from Salyut 7 in 1982); ocean resources flights, which are discussed under applications; and the Kosmos 1514 biosatellite mission which is discussed in Part 2 (Manned Space Programs and the Space Life Sciences) of this report. Table 1 summarizes unmanned Soviet space science flights from 1981 to 1983.
1. Does not include launches or deployments of amateur radio satellites, which sometimes are classified as science rather than communications' the Kosmos 1514 mission, which is described in pt. 2 (Manned Spaceflight and the Space Life Sciences) of this report; or ocean resources missions (discussed in ch. 4).
2. Planetary trajectory.
3. 26.7 days.
AUREOLE 3 (ARCAD 3)
The joint Soviet/French space mission Aureole 3 (Oreol 3 or Arcad 3) was launched on September 21, 1981, into an orbit 1,920 by 390 km inclined at 82.6° with a period of 108.2 minutes. The spacecraft carried a total of 200 kg of scientific instruments, half Soviet and half French. This mission continued the program of satellites begun with Aureole 1 (Arcad 1) in 1971, and discussions which led to the Aureole 3 launch began in 1974.
The spacecraft was based on the three-axis stabilized AUOS (automatic universal stations) design used for other Soviet scientific probes. In addition to 100 kg of experiments which were provided by the French, some of the satellite's service equipment (the infrared horizon sensor, an onboard computer, and a 136 megahertz telemetry system for transmitting data from the French experiments directly to France) was also built in France, a first for the Soviet space program. The onboard microcomputer, provided by the French, was used to collect data from all the instruments on the spacecraft and perform preliminary processing before transmission of the data to Earth. (23)
Experiments were related to studies of charged particles, particularly electrons, ions, and thermal plasmas; studies of magnetic and electrical fields at very low frequencies and magnetic field fluctuations; and a photometric analysis of the aurora borealis. (24)
ASTRON
On March 23, 1983, the Soviet Union launched an observatory-class astronomical satellite into orbit. Called Astron, it was placed in a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of 200,000 km and a perigee of 2,000 km, with a period of 98 hours and an inclination of 51.5". The spacecraft is based on the design for the Venera probes, (25) but in this case it carries instruments for X-ray and ultraviolet studies of the universe. The orbit was selected so that orbital perturbations that affect spacecraft in low Earth orbits would be reduced to enable the telescope to operate more efficiently. (26) In addition, with a high apogee, measurements can be made outside the high energy radiation belts (Van Alien belts) which encircle Earth. (27)
The ultraviolet telescope, called Spika, was developed at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory with the participation of French scientists. It weighs 400 kg, is 4.2 meters long, and has a double reflecting telescope based on Ritchey-Chretien optics (the main mirror has a diameter of 80 cm, the secondary mirror, 26 cm), with a focal length of 8 meters for the entire system. (28) The area of the collecting surface was described as being one-third greater than that of the U.S. Copernicus space telescope. (29)
The spacecraft also carries a Roentgen telescope designed to study sources of X-ray radiation in the 2-25 kiloelectronvolt range. Called SKR-02, the telescope has a collecting area of 0.2 square meters, and 10 spectral channels. (30)
The chief object of study is the Taurus constellation which includes two dispersed stellar concentrations and a crablike nebula with a pulsar. Other celestial objects have also been studied, including the star Kappa in the constellation Cancer which Soviet scientists discovered had one hundred times as much lead as Earth's Sun. (31) By September 1983, radiation had been recorded from 50 stars and 15 galaxies, (32) and observations were continuing at the end of 1983.
Reference has also been made to the fact that Astron can aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. V.G. Kurt, chief of ultraviolet and X-ray astronomy at the Institute of Space Studies, stated in an interview with Trud that the telescope could intercept signals from "hitherto unknown worlds. Who knows, these could be calls from extraterrestrial civilizations, with whom our acquaintance will begin with the information that we receive from 'Astron', (33)
References:
A. SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS: 1976-80 (WITH SUPPLEMENTARY DATA THROUGH 1983), UNMANNED SPACE ACTIVITIES, PREPARED AT THE REQUEST OF Hon. JOHN C. DANFORTH, Chairman, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, UNITED STATES SENATE, Part 3, MAY 1985, Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 99th Congress, 1 st. session, COMMITTEE PRINT, S. Prt. 98-235, U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1985
20. COSPAR Information Bulletin, No. 91, August 1981, pp. 67-68.
21. Pravda, Sept. 2, 1983, p. 3.
22. Serafimov, Kirill. Joint Research. Izvestiya, Aug. 12, 1981, p. 5.
23. Tass, 0650 GMT Apr. 3, 1982.
24. Langereux, Pierre. Franco-Soviet Arcad-3 Magnetosphere Experiments. Air & Cosmos, July 18,1981, pp.53-54.
25. Izvestiya, Apr. 1983, p. 2.
26. Pravda, Mar. 24, 1983, p. 6.
27. Zemlya i Vselannaya, July-August 1983, p. 2.
28. TASS, 1929 GMT, Mar. 23, 1983. Pravda Ukrainy, Apr. 9, 1983, p. 4.; Zemlya i Vselannaya, July-August 1983, p. 2.
29. Pravda, Apr. 9, 1983, p. 3. Copernicus (OAO-2) was launched in 1972 and operated until 1981.
30. Zemlya i Vselannaya, July-August 1983, p. 3.
31. Sotsialisticheskaya industriya, Aug. 5, 1983, p. 4.
32. Sotsialisticheskaya industriya, Sept. 6, 1983, pp. 7-8.
33. Trud, Mar. 24, 1983, p. 4.
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