Astron (spacecraft)

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Astron
USSR
COSPAR ID1983-020A [1]
SATCAT no.13901
Mission duration8 years
Start of mission
Launch date23 March 1983 12:45 (1983-03-23UTC12:45) UTC
RocketProton-K/D-1 8K82K/11S824M
Launch siteTYURATAM MISSILE AND SPACE COMPLEX
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
DeactivatedMarch 23, 1991
Orbital parameters
Reference system
Semi-major axis
108,531 km (67,438 mi)[1]
Eccentricity0.6575927[2]
Perigee altitude30,791.0 km (19,132.6 mi)[1]
Apogee altitude173,530.2 km (107,826.7 mi)[1]
Inclination48.4°[1]
Period5,930.5 minutes[1]
Mean motion0.24281115 rev/day[2]
Epoch19 July 2017 07:25:15 UTC
 

Astron was a

ultraviolet
space telescope of its time.

The project was headed by

NPO Lavochkin. A group of scientists from these institutions was awarded the USSR State Prize for their work.[6]

The payload consisted of an 80 cm ultraviolet telescope, which was jointly designed by the USSR and France, and an X-ray spectroscope.[7] It could take UV spectra 150-350 nm.[8]

Placed into an orbit with an

radiation belt
.

Among the most important observations made by Astron were those of

coma.[10]

Operation of the observatory ended on 23 March 1991.[11]

See also

  • Granat - a later space observatory based on the Venera spacecraft bus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "ASTRON".
  2. ^ a b "TLE".
  3. ^ J. McDowell. "Jonathan McDowell's launchlog". Jonathan's Space Home Page. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Spectr-UF Project History" (in Russian). Archived from the original on March 6, 2005.
  5. ^ "Alexander Boyarchuk" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  6. ^ "Crimean Astrophysical Observatory" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  7. ^ "The Astron Satellite".
    GSFC. 26 June 2003. Archived
    from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  8. Bibcode:1986PAZh...12..696B
    .
  9. ^ A.A. Boyarchuk; et al. (1987). "Observations on Astron: Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud".
    Bibcode:1987PAZh...13..739B
    .
  10. ^ A.A. Boyarchuk; et al. (1986). "A model for the coma of Comet Halley, based on the Astron ultraviolet spectrophotometry".
    Bibcode:1986PAZh...12..696B
    .
  11. ISBN 9781441981493
    .


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