Regatta-Astro
A much more modest alternative to Lomonosov has been proposed under the Regatta--Astro program. As noted, the Regatta series of small spacecraft( 230 kg payloads) are being developed by the institute of Space Research to perform a variety of space science investigations. The Regatta-Astro mission is specifically designed to conduct astrometric and radiometric observations stars and other celestial bodies. Unlike Lomonosov, Regatta-Astro would forsake the relative stability of a L2 halo orbit for a quasi-satellite orbit with an inclination of 10 degrees to the eliptic and varying ranges from Earth of 2-10 million kilometers. In orbit the approximately 575-kg Regatta spacecraft would exhibit a height of 2.75-3 m and a diameter across the solar sail and solar rudders of 6-9 m (References 319-322).
In early 1991 an operational period for Regatta-Astro of 1994-1997 was proposed, but the current status of the project is unclear. If successful, a second Regatta-Astro could be flown with more precise observational instrumentation. Plans for similar Regatta missions concentrating on thermal IR (2-7 µm) with a spatial resolution of six minutes and on radiometric mapping in the 1.0, 1.5, and 3.0 mm wavebands with a spatial resolution of at least 0.5 minutes have also been devised. These latter missions would also employ quasi-satellite orbits like Regatta-Astro.
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