Spektr-R - a new radio telescope! Options

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?...radioastron.htm

Wow, this one is big!

And yes, launch was scheduled for 2008, but there was a general meeting last month (ref. laspace.ru) and looks like they are on track for launch this year! And they will use a Zenit rocket this time.

Main scientific goal of the mission is the study of various astronomical objects with unprecedented angular resolution up to few millionth of an arcsecond. The resolution achieved with RadioAstron will allow us in principle to study the following phenomena and problems:

* central engine of AGN and physical processes near super massive black holes providing an acceleration of cosmic rays - size, velocity and shape of emitting region in the core, spectrum, polarization and variability of emitting components;
* cosmological models, dark matter and dark energy - by studying dependence of above mentioned AGN's parameters with redshift, and by observing gravitational lensing;
* structure and dynamics of star and planets forming regions in our Galaxy and in AGN - by studying maser and Mega maser radio emission;
* neutron (quark?) stars and black holes in our Galaxy, their structure and dynamics - by VLBI and measurements of visibility scintillations, proper motions and parallaxes;
* structure and distribution of interstellar and interplanetary plasma - by fringe visibility scintillations of pulsars;
* building of high accuracy astronomical reference system of coordinates;
* building of high accuracy model of the Earth gravity field.

I say... WOW! WOW!

[GEmin1]

- The H-maser (atomic clock) was turned on and internal test
has shown that the clock works properly, its stability
is reported to be within the specs.
- Tests of "VIRK", the system which includes high-gain 1.5-m
diameter antennae and is used to contact with the tracking station
in Pushchino, continue. The so-called "open loop", the tone signal
at 8 GHz, was successfully detected in Pushchino and is being used
to perform Doppler measurements of the orbit parameters.
The 15 GHz tone signal was also successfully detected.
- Today, the first system temperature measurements were
performed for the Australian-made 18 cm astronomical receiver
while the space telescope was pointed on a cold sky;
the system temperature is estimated to be about 42 K
which is close to receiver's specifications.

Plans for the near future:
- VIRK pointing correction measurements and 15 GHz data link tests,
- performance measurements for all the other astronomical receivers
of the 92, 6, and 1.3 cm bands,
- Cassiopea A first light single-dish radio astronomical observations
including space radio telescope efficiency measurements.

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news.html