Russian science returns to space

A year ago the mission of the Russian space radio-telescope Radioastron was started (Spectrum-R). Experts call it return of Russian science to space. Spectrum-R is a new platform with high-accuracy characteristics. There is no analogy of the telescope in the world. The space device works not only for astronomy, but also for research of links between the sun and Earth.

Vladimir Babyshkin, senior instructor of Lavochkin Scientific Production Association on Spectrum-R

A year ago we managed not only to create a space complex which includes a spacecraft with unique equipment. This spacecraft has a status of international space observatory and is called Radiosatron. After launching and turning the spacecraft into a space radio-observatory, Radiostron, we have carried out works connected with examination of the space platform, tested its on-board systems and their reserves. We spent a lot of time to check the complex of scientific equipment and confirm its working capacity. A year after the observatory is completely examined and is functioning. The first stage of work of this device is over – implementation of the initial scientific program. The spacecraft is given to the Academy of Science. The project is international, as many countries participate in it. A peculiarity of the project is that an unusual orbit is chosen – the orbit which goes beyond the moon limits. It is made for it could evolve, change its characteristics, i.e. extend opportunities for scientific research. The main thing is that many engineers and scientists managed to create a unique device, interferometer with a space arm and a very-large-scale base which opens new opportunities in fundamental space research. In one year of exploitation we spent only 10 kg of fuel out of 280 kg which we have. It makes us hope that the device can function for many years. Its ballistic existence is planned by 2017. On-board energy has reserves for providing full-scale work of the scientific equipment complex.

The scientific equipment complex contains unique gadgets: on-board hydrogen standard of purity; the radio-line which was created under management of Astrospace Center; devices providing synchronization of acquisition of signal of the space radio-telescope and earth telesopes.

The facility is far away. We had no right for a mistake. We learnt how to control the device slowly, step by step, considering special restrictions. We couldn’t violate them because it would lead to loss of the complex. I mean such restrictions as coming to Earth’s shadow, light-striking of the antenna, and other things. But today we control the device completely.

Antenna-aperture on the third day was the most significant moment for us because the fact of aperture and fixation of the antenna was a certain stage. There were a lot of skeptics who didn’t believe that engineers managed to fulfill the task. Today we can say that the antenna is working, and it is confirmed by tests. The crucially important moment was accuracy of diagram axis. This moment is confirmed. Accuracy is even better than it was programmed in the viewpoint. Great results have been achieved.

Larisa Likhachyova, deputy director of FIAS,  executive director of the project

Uniqueness of the project of Earth-Space Interferometer is that it is a unique scientific board. The solid antenna with 27 coal-plastic vanes unfolded under command and created a common surface of the radio-telescope. It is very important work which was seen by the whole world. The on-board scientific complex contains 21 gadgets. Usually Academy of Science space projects include many devices on-board, but they work separately from each other. Complexity of our project is that if only one device failed out of these 21, the whole mechanism wouldn’t work. The whole board is actually one device. The gadgets were made by many Russian and foreign organizations.

The unique device which went to space for the first time is on-board hydrogen standard of purity. It is a new technology which enables our cosmonautics to gain more precise results in various directions of space research.

Earth plays a very significant role in our project, because it is the earth-space interferometer. The space antenna and earth antennas should look at one space source and get its signal. This process should be staged. At the moment our scientific Earth includes three parts. We cannot say what is the main, but we cannot work without them. One of elements is the ground tracking station. It is an equipment complex which is situated on the radio-telescope of the Academy of Sciences, RT-22 in Pushchino. The tracking station receives information from the system of high-informative radio-channel which was established for transferring scientific data. We developed a separate high-informative radio-channel, the line which was fulfilled by the company Rocket-and-space systems. They made the on-board part. The beam antenna should be able to transmit a signal to an antenna of the ground tracking station. This is one part of the earth complex.

The second part is almost all major radio-telescopes of the world. Among Russian telescopes the Kalyazin antenna RT-64 will work with us. At the moment the Ukrainian antenna in Yevpatoria RT-70 is working. Moreover, two American antennas: in Arecibo RT-300 and RT-100 in ELA. Two major Italian antennas are working. A Spanish antenna is working. A Japanese 50 mm antenna is working. And the whole complex of Australian antennas is working. Today the whole world is interested in our project. We have an organization which is called The Scientific Group of Project Management where leading radio-astronomy scientists are involved.

Nikolai Kardashov, head of the Astraspace Center of Lebedev FIAS

A radio-telescope is a parabola mirror, a parabola antenna made out of coal-plastics. This construction was created for the first time, it has many prospects for space communication in the future. It has high accuracy. The space interferometer enables us to solve tasks which can be solved by a parabola antenna of 300-380 thousand km length. Such a telescope will provide us with research of far sources, and we can solve important tasks of contemporary astronomy.

A special station for signal receiving was constructed in Pushchino. The diameter of the antenna is 22 mm. A group of our colleagues deal with information receiving from the space radio-telescope. At the moment receiving stations are being constructed in the US near Washington and in South Africa. At first we began simplest research because there have been no radio-telescopes which study separate objects. Scanning, i.e. changing direction to the source and around it, found signal’s response which is shown here. The right image is an optic image from the source which study radio-waves from explosion of a star in Cassiopeia constellation 300 years ago. Emission from the explosion comes to us today and sends radio-signals. The explosion took place in 1054 when Vladimir Monomakh ruled Russia. But we receive its signals only today. Why? Because a neutron star appeared with gigantic magnetic field. This spinning star with magnetic field sends periodical impulses, 33 times per second, several times in hour it sends very powerful impulses. Several decades ago our scientist Iosif Shklovsky suggested that emission lines are connected with areas where planets are formed, and we can see real planets which only started to move around a star which is not completely formed.

In June we had a session in Pushchino where our radio-observatory and the center of information receiving are situated. Representatives of all major observatories were present – from Europe, India, Japan, Australia, Canada, the United States. They agreed with the program completely and adopted research plans for the next year. They confirmed participation of all major telescopes in this program and defined certain objects for research.

Anatoly Petrukovich, head of the Space Plasma Physics Department in the Institute of Space Research of RAS

In fact along with the experiment of Radiostron we have the so-called experiment Plasma-F. It studies solar wind. Solar wind is a stream of plasma which is spread from the sun and fills the Solar System. The Institute of Space Research prepared an experiment involving three devices made within wide international cooperation between Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, China, and Kyrgyzstan. Unlike the major experiment of Radioastron, it is a small experiment weighting 12 kg. The platform of Spectrum-R is convenient, the satellite is convenient for such studies because the orbit is pulled and goes to the moon.