Astron (spacecraft)

Short description: Soviet ultraviolet space telescope

Astron

Mission type| Astrophysical research
Operator| USSR
COSPAR ID| 1983-020A [1]
SATCAT no.| 13901
Mission duration| 8 years
Start of mission
Launch date| 23 March 1983 12:45 (1983-03-23UTC12:45) UTC
Rocket| Proton-K/D-1 8K82K/11S824M
Launch site| TYURATAM MISSILE AND SPACE COMPLEX
End of mission
Disposal| Decommissioned
Deactivated| March 23, 1991
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Geocentric
Regime| High Earth
Semi-major axis| 108,531 km (67,438 mi)[1]
Eccentricity| 0.6575927[2]
Perigee altitude| 30,791.0 km (19,132.6 mi)[1]
Apogee altitude| 173,530.2 km (107,826.7 mi)[1]
Inclination| 48.4°[1]
Period| 5,930.5 minutes[1]
Mean motion| 0.24281115 rev/day[2]
Epoch| 19 July 2017 07:25:15 UTC

Astron was a Soviet space telescope launched on 23 March 1983 at 12:45:06 UTC, using the Proton launcher.[3] Based on the 4MV spacecraft design and operational for six years, Astron was the largest ultraviolet space telescope of its time.

The project was headed by Alexandr Boyarchuk.[4][5] The spacecraft was designed and constructed by the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and 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 apogee of 185,000 kilometres (115,000 mi), Astron was capable of making observations outside the Earth's umbra and radiation belt.

Among the most important observations made by Astron were those of SN 1987A supernova from March 4 to March 12, 1987,[9] and of Halley's Comet in December 1985, the latter of which enabled a group of Soviet scientists to develop a model of the comet's 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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "ASTRON". http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=13901.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "TLE". http://celestrak.com/cgi-bin/TLE.pl?CATNR=13901.
3. ↑ J. McDowell. "Jonathan McDowell's launchlog". Jonathan's Space Home Page. http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt.
4. ↑ "Spectr-UF Project History" (in ru). http://www.inasan.rssi.ru/rus/WSO/history.html.
5. ↑ "Alexander Boyarchuk" (in ru). http://mirslovarei.com/content_bes/Bojarchuk-8125.html.
6. ↑ "Crimean Astrophysical Observatory" (in ru). http://www.crimea-portal.gov.ua/index.php?&art=1107.
7. ↑ "The Astron Satellite". NASA/GSFC. 26 June 2003. http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/heasarc/missions/astron.html.
8. ↑ Boyarchuk, A. A.; Grinin, V. P.; Zvereva, A. M.; Petrov, P. P.; Sheikhet, A. I. (1986). "A model for the coma of Comet Halley, based on the Astron ultraviolet spectrophotometry". Pis'ma v Astronomicheskii Zhurnal 12: 696. Bibcode: 1986PAZh...12..696B.
9. ↑ A.A. Boyarchuk (1987). "Observations on Astron: Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud" (in ru). Pis'ma v Astronomicheskii Zhurnal 13: 739–743. Bibcode: 1987PAZh...13..739B.
10. ↑ A.A. Boyarchuk (1986). "A model for the coma of Comet Halley, based on the Astron ultraviolet spectrophotometry" (in ru). Pis'ma v Astronomicheskii Zhurnal 12: 696–706. Bibcode: 1986PAZh...12..696B.
11. ↑ Harvey, Brian; Zakutnyaya, Olga (2011). Russian Space Probes: Scientific Discoveries and Future Missions. Springer Praxis. pp. 376–380. ISBN 9781441981493.

* A.A. Бойарчук (1994) (in ru). Moscow: Nauka.

* v
* t
* e

Space observatories

Operating|

* AGILE (since 2007)
* AMS-02 (since 2011)
* Aoi (since 2018)
* ASTERIA (since 2017)
* Astrosat (since 2015)
* BRITE constellation (since 2013)
* CALET (since 2015)
* Chandra (AXAF) (since 1999)
* DAMPE (since 2015)
* Fermi (since 2008)
* Gaia (since 2013)
* HXMT (Insight) (since 2017)
* Hinode (Solar-B) (since 2006)
* HiRISE (since 2005)
* Hisaki (SPRINT-A) (since 2013)
* Hubble (since 1990)
* INTEGRAL (since 2002)
* IBEX (since 2008)
* IRIS (since 2013)
* ISS-CREAM (since 2017)
* MAXI (since 2009)
* Mikhailo Lomonosov (since 2016)
* Mini-EUSO (since 2019)
* NCLE (since 2018)
* NEOSSat (since 2013)
* NICER (since 2017)
* NuSTAR (since 2012)
* Odin (since 2001)
* SDO (since 2010)
* SOHO (since 1995)
* SOLAR (since 2008)
* Spektr-RG (since 2019)
* Spitzer (since 2003)
* STEREO (since 2006)
* Swift (since 2004)
* TESS (since 2018)
* WISE (since 2009)
* XMM-Newton (since 1999)

Planned|

* CHEOPS (2019)
* iWF-MAXI (2019)
* Astro-1 Telescope (2020)
* ILO-1 (2020)
* LUCI (2020)
* Nano-JASMINE (2020)
* ORBIS (2020)
* Solar Orbiter (SolO) (2020)
* IXPE (2021)
* James Webb (JWST) (2021)
* LORD (2021)
* SVOM (2021)
* XPoSat (2021)
* Euclid (2022)
* Space Solar Telescope (2022)
* XRISM (2022)
* Xuntian (2022)
* K-EUSO (2023)
* Solar-C (2023)
* SPHEREx (2023)
* Small-JASMINE (2024)
* Near-Earth Object Surveillance Mission (2025+)
* Spektr-UV (2025)
* WFIRST (2025+)
* PLATO (2026)
* LiteBIRD (2027)
* ARIEL (2028)
* Spektr-M (2030+)
* ATHENA (2031)
* LISA (2034)

Proposed|

* Arcus
* AstroSat-2
* EXCEDE
* Fresnel Imager
* FOCAL
* HabEx
* Hibari
* Hypertelescope
* JEM-EUSO
* LUVOIR
* ATLAST
* HDST
* Lynx
* Nautilus Deep Space Observatory
* New Worlds Mission
* NRO donation to NASA
* OST
* PhoENiX
* Solar-D
* SPICA
* THEIA
* THESEUS

Retired|

* Akari (Astro-F) (2006–2011)
* ALEXIS (1993–2005)
* Alouette 1 (1962–1972)
* Ariel 1 (1962, 1964)
* Ariel 2 (1964)
* Ariel 3 (1967–1969)
* Ariel 4 (1971–1972)
* Ariel 5 (1974–1980)
* Ariel 6 (1979–1982)
* ATM (1973–1974)
* ASCA (Astro-D) (1993–2000)
* Astro-1 (1990)
* BBXRT
* HUT
* Astro-2 (HUT) (1995)
* Astron (1983–1989)
* ANS (1974–1976)
* BeppoSAX (1996–2003)
* CHIPSat (2003–2008)
* Compton (CGRO) (1991–2000)
* CoRoT (2006–2013)
* Cos-B (1975–1982)
* COBE (1989–1993)
* DXS (1993)
* EPOCh (2008)
* EPOXI (2010)
* Explorer 11 (1961)
* EXOSAT (1983–1986)
* EUVE (1992–2001)
* FUSE (1999–2007)
* Kvant-1 (1987–2001)
* GALEX (2003–2013)
* Gamma (1990–1992)
* Ginga (Astro-C) (1987–1991)
* Granat (1989–1998)
* Hakucho (CORSA-b) (1979–1985)
* HALCA (MUSES-B) (1997–2005)
* HEAO-1 (1977–1979)
* Herschel (2009–2013)
* Hinotori (Astro-A) (1981–1991)
* HEAO-2 (Einstein Obs.) (1978–1982)
* HEAO-3 (1979–1981)
* HETE-2 (2000–2008)
* Hipparcos (1989–1993)
* IUE (1978–1996)
* IRAS (1983)
* IRTS (1995–1996)
* ISO (1996–1998)
* IXAE (1996–2004)
* Kepler (2009–2018)
* Kristall (1990–2001)
* LEGRI (1997–2002)
* LISA Pathfinder (2015–2017)
* MOST (2003–2019)
* MSX (1996–1997)
* OAO-2 (1968–1973)
* OAO-3 (Copernicus) (1972–1981)
* Orbiting Solar Observatory
* OSO 1
* OSO 2/OSO B
* OSO 3
* OSO 4
* OSO 5
* OSO 6
* OSO 7
* OSO 8
* Orion 1 (1971)
* Orion 2 (1973)
* PAMELA (2006–2016)
* PicSat (2018)
* Planck (2009–2013)
* RELIKT-1 (1983–1984)
* R/HESSI (2002–2018)
* ROSAT (1990–1999)
* RXTE (1995–2012)
* SAMPEX (1992–2004)
* SAS-B (1972–1973)
* SAS-C (1975–1979)
* Solwind (1979–1985)
* Spektr-R (2011–2019)
* Suzaku (Astro-EII) (2005–2015)
* Taiyo (SRATS) (1975–1980)
* Tenma (Astro-B) (1983–1985)
* Uhuru (1970–1973)
* Vanguard 3 (1959)
* WMAP (2001–2010)
* Yokoh (Solar-A) (1991–2001)

Hibernating
(Mission completed)|

* SWAS (1998–2005)
* TRACE (1998–2010)

Lost|

* OAO-1 (1966)
* OAO-B (1970)
* CORSA (1976)
* OSO C (1965)
* ABRIXAS (1999)
* HETE-1 (1996)
* WIRE (1999)
* Astro-E (2000)
* Tsubame (2014–2015)
* Hitomi (Astro-H) (2016)

Cancelled|

* AOSO
* Astro-G
* Constellation-X
* Darwin
* Destiny
* EChO
* Eddington
* FAME
* FINESSE
* GEMS
* HOP
* IXO
* JDEM
* LOFT
* OSO J
* OSO K
* Sentinel
* SIM & SIMlite
* SNAP
* SPOrt
* TAUVEX
* TPF
* XEUS
* XIPE

See also|

* Great Observatories program
* List of space telescopes
* List of proposed space observatories
* List of X-ray space telescopes

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Soviet and Russian space program

* Roscosmos

Launch sites|

* Baikonur Cosmodrome (in Kazakhstan)
* Dombarovsky
* Kapustin Yar
* Plesetsk Cosmodrome
* Svobodny Cosmodrome (defunct)
* Vostochny Cosmodrome

Launch vehicles|

* Angara
* Proton
* Soyuz

Human spaceflight
programs|

| Past|

* Vostok
* Voskhod
* Salyut
* Almaz (incorporated into Salyut program) / TKS
* Soyuz-Apollo Test Project (joint)
* Mir
* Shuttle–Mir (joint)
* Energia / Buran

|

Cancelled|

* Zond (7K-L1) (Moon flyby)
* Soviet crewed lunar programs (Moon landing)
* Zvezda (moonbase)
* TMK (Mars/Venus flyby)
* Spiral
* Zvezda
* Zarya
* MAKS
* Kliper

Active|

* International Space Station (joint)
* Russian Orbital Segment
* Soyuz

In development|

* Orel

Robotic
programs|

| Past|

* Sputnik
* Sputnik programme (1957–1960)
* DS (1960–1977)
* Prognoz (1972–1996)
* Luna programme (1959–1976)
* Venera (1961–1984)
* Zond program (1964–1970)
* Astron (1983)
* Vega program (1984)
* Granat (1989)
* Gamma (1990)
* Mars 96 (failed) (1996)
* Resurs-DK No.1 (2006)
* Koronas-Foton (2009)
* Fobos-Grunt (failed) (2011)
* Spektr-R (2011–2019)

|

Active|

* Bion-M
* Elektro–L
* ExoMars (joint)
* Meteor-M
* Resurs-P
* Spektr-RG

In development|

* Luna-Glob
* Luna 25
* Luna 26
* Luna 27
* Luna 28
* Rosalind Franklin rover
* Spektr-UV

Communications|

* Luch (satellite)
* Soviet Deep Space Network

Concepts|

* Baikal-Angara
* Laplace-P
* Mars-Grunt
* Mercury-P
* OPSEK
* Spektr-M
* Venera-D

Images and artwork|

* Mission patches

Related|

* Cosmonaut ranks and positions
* Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation
* Soviet space exploration history on Soviet stamps
* Cosmonauts Alley
* Monument to the Conquerors of Space
* Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics
* Soviet space dogs
* Laika
* Ivan Ivanovich

* See also: Space industry of Russia
* Russian Aerospace Defence Forces

0.00

(0 votes)

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Engineering:Astron_(spacecraft)&oldid=273070"
*[no.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template