Author Topic: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update  (Read 68627 times)

Offline Salo Ukr

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #20 on: 07/05/2012 11:18 pm »
http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news_en.pdf

Astro Space Center
RadioAstron Newsletter
Number 14
July 5, 2012
======================

First results of the RadioAstron early science program


The RadioAstron early science program has started in February 2012 within the following three main areas: active galactic nuclei, cosmic masers, and pulsars. These activities are being conducted by international early science program working groups coordinated by the Astro Space Center. Some first results are presented below.

First experiment to image an active galaxy 0716+714 was conducted in the middle of March 2012 by RadioAstron together with the European VLBI network including the Russian Kvazar system as well as Evpatoria and Usuda. Despite a low activity phase of the object during these observations, 0716+714 was detected at 6 cm between the space radio telescope (SRT) and many ground telescopes in the array up to 5.2 Earth diameters. Preliminary analysis estimates the size of the core in this blazar to be about or less than 40 microarcseconds (0.2 parsec).
The RadioAstron survey of active galactic nuclei in all frequency bands continues. The record is being set so far by a detection of the active galaxy OJ287 at 6 cm with the SRT and Effelsberg at 7 Earth diameters (see the figure). This detection was achieved at about one order of magnitude higher resolution than the one available to ground-based radio interferometers. A preliminary estimate of brightness for these objects is about or greater than 10^13 K. Results of the survey will help to better understand nature of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei.

First fringes for the water maser line at 1.35 cm in the star forming region W51 are obtained. W51 is one on the brightest water masers in our Galaxy situated at 5.4 kpc in the Sagittarius spiral arm. Correlated signal between space telescope Spektr-R and the 100-m ground radio telescope in Effelsberg (MPIfR, Germany) was obtained on May 12, 2012.
Projected baseline of the earth-space interferometer was about 1.14 Earth diameters. The angular resolution which is the highest ever achieved for the spectral line observations is about 0.2 milliarcsec.
These observations are aimed on evaluation of the possibility to use masers for studies of the physics and dynamics of associated objects with ultra-high angular resolution. Such observations for the first time provide possibility to measure extremely high brightness temperatures which are the key input for studies of the physics of maser sources in the regions of the star and planet formation, envelopes of evolved stars, accretion discs and outflows around young stellar objects and black holes in galactic nuclei. See the figure attached. Several bright details in the plot correspond to different components of the maser source.

Radio pulses from the Vela pulsar propagate through inhomogeneous interstellar plasma. Pulsar radio waves are distorted, scattered and focused by these inhomogeneities which act like lenses with a size of about one astronomical unit. Near the Earth different scattered rays interfere in a narrow cone with an angle of a few milliarcseconds.
Details of the interference can be studied only with a space-ground interferometer which provides necessary angular resolution. In May 2012 radio emission from the Vela pulsar was recorded by the RadioAstron in conjunction with large radio telescopes in Australia and South Africa: Parkes, Mopra, Hobart, Hartebeesthoek and 70-m NASA DSN antenna in Tidbinbilla. Results of data processing have showed that scattering disk is completely resolved on the baseline of SRT-Tidbinbilla (100,000 km). Detailed study of the scattered image and its evolution in time will allow to determine space structure of the inhomogeneities of the interstellar plasma. In addition to that, important constraints can be imposed on the location and structure of the emission region in the magnetosphere of the Vela pulsar. See figures attached. The SRT-ground interferometric response consists of numerous narrow spikes, reflecting multi-ray propagation due to scattering.


First fringes with the DiFX correlator in MPIfR, Bonn!

The Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn has successfully upgraded the software correlator DiFX to allow for correlation of RadioAstron data. The first fringes were detected with DiFX for the December 1, 2011, RadioAstron-Effelsberg observations of BL Lacerate at 6 cm confirming results by the ASC correlator reported in the RadioAstron Newsletter 11.
See details in:
http://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/public/pr/pr-radioastron2012-en.html


RadioAstron International Science Council meeting 2012

The RadioAstron International Science Council (RISC) met in Pushchino near Moscow, on June 18-20, 2012. Members of the RISC include representatives of Russian and international science institutions and observatories, as well as leading experts in the field, from most of the major radio facilities around the globe. The RISC was very pleased to see the significant progress and success of the RadioAstron mission. In order to optimize the scientific return from RadioAstron, the RISC suggested that following the experimental early science phase which is now in progress, that an Open Skies phase starting in mid 2013 be organized around a limited number of key science projects. A call for expressions of interest from self organized science teams will be issued in August 2012 with a goal of receiving formal proposals by February 1, 2013. Based on suggestions from the RISC, a Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) is also being organized to review proposals. Phil Edwards has agreed to Chair the PEC.


With best regards,
Nikolai Kardashev ([email protected])
Yuri Kovalev ([email protected])

Offline Salo Ukr

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #21 on: 07/10/2012 06:08 pm »

Offline Salo Ukr

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #22 on: 07/18/2012 02:08 pm »
Presentattion: First year on orbit! (only Russian :( )

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=19328
« Last Edit: 07/18/2012 02:11 pm by Salo Ukr »

Offline Salo Ukr

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #23 on: 07/18/2012 02:14 pm »

Offline Salo Ukr

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #24 on: 07/18/2012 02:16 pm »

Offline Salo Ukr

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #25 on: 07/19/2012 06:43 am »
Dear colleagues,

One year ago RadioAstron was launched from Baikonur.
Together we have made a tremendous progress since then, have resolved
many issues and started the science program of the mission.
Thanks to all and congratulations with the one year anniversary!

Yours,
Astro Space Center

Yuri Y. Kovalev <[email protected]>

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #26 on: 09/18/2012 11:44 am »
Astro Space Center
RadioAstron Newsletter
Number 15
September 17, 2012
======================
RadioAstron Announcement of Opportunity - 1
for observations from July 2013 to June 2014 inclusive

The space VLBI mission RadioAstron, led by the Astro Space Center (ASC) of Lebedev Physical Institute, provides a range of specific and unique capabilities for detecting and imaging sources of cosmic radio emission at highest angular resolution. The optimal utilization of these capabilities relies on the construction and execution of a balanced scientific program for the Mission.
The scientific program of the RadioAstron will consist of three major parts: the Early Science Program (ESP), Key Science Program (KSP), and General Observing Time (GOT) projects. The Early Science Program, currently underway and planned to continue through 2012 until the middle of 2013, explores the main scientific capabilities of the RadioAstron observations and paves the way to subsequent engagement in the KSP and GOT programs.
Following the completion of the ESP observations, the RadioAstron KSP will commence in July 2013. The KSP is aimed specifically at bringing the focus on the areas of strongest scientific impact of RadioAstron and ensuring a long-lasting scientific impact of the Mission. The KSP observations within the AO-1 period will be carried out between July 2013 and June 2014 inclusive and will have a shared-risk nature since a number of observing modes have not yet been fully tested by the ASC.

Proposals are now invited for the RadioAstron Key Science Program experiments.
The KSP application is a two-stage process. An initial Letter of Intent (LoI) should be directed to the Mission by 17 October 2012. Each team submitting a LoI is expected to participate in the KSP consortia organization meeting that will be held at the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn on 3-4 December 2012. Based on the positive feedback from the Mission and discussions with other potential KSP proposers during the December meeting, the resulting KSP consortia are expected to prepare full KSP proposals to be submitted by 1 February 2013 to the Mission and to the respective ground radio telescopes required for the specific observations.

For details, please consult RadioAstron AO-1 related documents available from
http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/ao-1/ao1.html

With best regards,
Nikolai Kardashev ([email protected])
Yuri Kovalev ([email protected])

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news_en.pdf
« Last Edit: 09/18/2012 11:44 am by Salo »

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #27 on: 10/11/2012 05:21 am »
Astro Space Center
RadioAstron Newsletter
Number 16
October 9, 2012
======================
One year has passed since the birth of the Spektr-R 10-meter orbiting radio telescope About one year ago, on September 27, 2011, the space radio telescope Spektr-R has registered the first light from the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. Congratulations to all involved! We are pleased to note that since than the RadioAstron radio interferometer has proven its stability and operability at all four available wave bands of 92, 18, 6, and 1.3 cm. New science results were obtained within the three main areas of the RadioAstron Early Science program: pulsars, galactic masers, and active galactic nuclei. Interferometric signals were successfully detected for the interferometer baselines up to 20 Earth diameters for pulsar observations and up to 7 Earth diameters for quasars.

First RadioAstron-EVN image of the active galaxy 0716+714!

The international RadioAstron AGN early science program team of researchers has produced the first RadioAstron-EVN image of the rapidly variable active galaxy 0716+714 at 6.2 cm (see Figure). Data of about 24 hours of observations from about 10 largest ground radio telescopes from Europe, Russia, and China together with the 10-meter space Spektr-R were used in the analysis. Correlated emission of 0716+714 was detected up to 5.2 Earth diameters. Apparent parameters of the core were estimated. The jet base width is measured to be about 70 microarcseconds or 0.3 parsec, its brightness temperature - about 2x10^12 K which agrees with the model of incoherent synchrotron emission of relativistic electrons with Doppler boosting. We note that these parameters were measured at an epoch of low activity state of the BL Lacertae object 0716+714.

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news_en.pdf

With best regards,
Nikolai Kardashev ([email protected])
Yuri Kovalev ([email protected])
« Last Edit: 10/11/2012 05:23 am by Salo »

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #28 on: 10/27/2012 06:05 am »
Number 17
October 26, 2012
======================

The process to select projects for the open RadioAstron observing time within the AO-1 period (July 2013 - June 2014) has started

From the middle of 2013 RadioAstron will move to the open sky phase of  its science operations. Any scientist in the world can apply for the RadioAstron observing time. RadioAstron proposals will be reviewed by the international RadioAstron program evaluation committee. Applying for time is a three-stage process. An initial Letter of Intent (LoI) should have been directed to the Mission by 17 October 2012. Each team submitting an LoI is expected to participate in the key science program (KSP) consortia organization workshop that will be held at the Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn on 3-4 December 2012.
Based on the positive feedback from the Mission and discussions with other potential KSP proposers during the December meeting, the resulting KSP consortia will prepare full KSP proposals to be submitted by 1 February 2013 to the Mission and to the respective ground radio telescopes required for the specific observations. While submitting an LoI and taking part in the workshop is expected to provide significant  advantages to the teams in preparing their full proposals, this is not a mandatory requirement. Details can be found at http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/ao-1/ao1.html

We are happy to report that the international community has actively participated in the first phase of the process. We have received 31 Letters of Intent with the total observing time request about 4.5 thousand hours which is about 4 times larger than our estimate of available observing time during the AO-1 period. Some more statistics follows. These LoIs were submitted by about 160 co-authors from 18 countries, about 50 of them plan to participate in the consortia organization workshop in December. The highest number of authors are from Russia (34) being followed by Australia, Germany, and USA (about 20 each). Science areas covered by the LoIs include active galactic nuclei (the highest number of Letters), masers, pulsars, interstellar medium, transients, astrometry, gravity, and cosmology.

With best regards,
Nikolai Kardashev ([email protected])
Yuri Kovalev ([email protected])

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news_en.pdf

Offline Artyom.

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #29 on: 12/25/2012 03:18 pm »
======================
Astro Space Center
RadioAstron Newsletter
Number 18
December 25, 2012
======================
See the full Russian and English version of the Newsletter attached to
this e-mail (pdf)


RadioAstron Early Science Program continues to deliver interesting
results

The Space VLB interferometer RadioAstron continues to study the
unexplored territory -- observe active galactic nuclei at ultimate
baseline length and angular resolution. Particularly, the interferometer
has successfully detected interference signals from the galactic nuclei
OJ287, BL Lac, 0716+714, 0823+033, 1823+568 at projected baselines 6-11
Earth diameters at 6 and/or 18 cm. The AGN team has also seen
indications of detections at even longer projections, this is currently
under investigation. First successful results were delivered at the
shortest wave length, 1.3 cm, as well. So far between 2.5 and 4.3 Earth
diameters for the galaxies 0716+714, 0748+126 and 1749+096. These
results suggest that AGN cores of many of the above mentioned objects
have apparent brightness temperature about or more than 10^13 K.

Observations of the water maser in Cepheus A within the RadioAstron
early science program resulted in a successful detection. Cepheus A is
located at a distance of about 700 pc from the Sun and contains young
cluster of massive stars and protostars. Maser emission of various
molecules is formed in their vicinities. Bright water maser source
contains numerous maser spots which are organized in clusters associated
with different massive stars. Correlated signal was obtained between
space radio telescope Spektr-R of the RadioAstron project and the 40-m
ground radio telescope in Yebes (Spain) on November 18, 2012. Projected
baseline of the space-ground interferometer was 3.5 Earth diameters
(about 45,000 km) which sets up a record for maser observations and
provides angular resolution up to 60 microarcsec. Preliminary data
analysis shows that the observed correlated signal belongs to a
short-living maser component which emerged as a result of a flare.

RadioAstron Green Bank Earth Station

A contract was signed last week between the AUI/NRAO and Lebedev
Physical Institute to build and operate a RadioAstron Earth Station in
Green Bank, WV, USA, which will track the satellite and collect science
data using the NRAO Green Bank 140ft telescope. Tests to point the
on-board high gain antenna to Green Bank and track it by the 140ft
telescope have started in November 2012 and turned out to be successful.
We hope to get it operational by the northern Spring 2013 in addition to
the actively working station in Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia. This
will allow to increase the total amount of available RadioAstron
observing time by about two. This work is funded by Roscosmos.

RadioAstron Key Science Program workshop

About 50 researchers from many different countries have met in
Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn on December
3-4, 2012, to present their ideas for the RadioAstron Key Science
Program within the open sky RadioAstron Announcement of Opportunity 1.
Discussed projects have covered active galactic nuclei, masers, pulsars,
interstellar medium, transients, astrometry, gravity, and cosmology. The
next step is the full proposal submission, deadline: February 1, 2013.
We thank once again the MPIfR for the wonderful organization of the
event.


With seasonal greetings!
Nikolai Kardashev ([email protected])
Yuri Kovalev ([email protected])

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #30 on: 03/07/2013 05:04 am »
Astro Space Center
RadioAstron Newsletter
Number 19
March 6, 2013
======================

Record breaking results of AGN studies with RadioAstron

RadioAstron AGN survey continues to bring new exciting results. Already many active galactic nuclei are detected at 18 and 6 cm up to the projected baselines of 20 Earth diameters. As expected, results at longest projections are mostly delivered on baselines with the most sensitive ground radio telescopes { E elsberg (Germany), Arecibo and GBT (USA). In the same time, all of the ground radio telescopes participating in the AGN survey routinely result in positive Space VLBI detections with Spektr-R.
Observations of 3C273 in January 2013 have broken the record of angular resolution announced last year by ground based 1.3 mm VLBI observations of 3C279 with APEX, SMA, and SMT. The quasar was detected at 8.1 Earth diameters (7.6 G, fringe spacing 27 arcsec, see Figure 1) by the RadioAstron-GBT interferometer at 1.3 cm.
In the beginning of February 2013 RadioAstron has successfully observed the radio galaxy M87. These 1.3 cm observations were, for the rst time, supported from the ground by the phased VLA. Angular resolution was comparable to the size of a shadow of the super-massive black in the center of M87, as predicted by the theory. The AGN working group is currently reducing the data.

Pulsars at long interferometer baselines and interstellar medium

Several eff ects accompany propagation of radio waves through an inhomogeneous interstellar plasma: angular broadening, temporal smearing, distortions in radio spectrum, and intensity modulation (scintillations). These e ects are due to interference of separate radio rays scattered or focused by random plasma inhomogeneities ("rough lenses"). Modern theoretical treatment of mentioned above scattering e ects predicts very low level of visibility amplitude for distant pulsars at long space-ground baselines of the RadioAstron mission. In contrast to these theoretical predictions strong visibilities were detected in observations of the distant pulsar B0329+54.
The observations were conducted with the GBT 100-m radio telescope of NRAO in Green Bank and RadioAstron space telescope at a frequency of 316 MHz. Distance to the spacecraft was about 275 000 km, and RadioAstron-GBT baseline projection was equal to 150 000 km. Fringe visibility amplitude as a function of fringe rate and delay is shown in Figure 2. For a source without scattering one should expect the presence of an isolated peak in the center of the picture. Instead, there is the presence of the whole ensemble of such peaks, each corresponding to certain combination of scattered rays. The observed structure is slowly varying with time at a scale of about 100 seconds. Thus, obtained results require a revision of our understanding of the structure of the interstellar plasma irregularities, and call for a new interpretation of the scattering of radio waves.

Galactic water masers

Successful detection of interference fringes for the water maser in the high-mass star formation region W3 IRS5 located in the Perseus arm at a distance of 1.83 kpc is reported. Correlated signal was obtained with space radio interferometer baselines between the orbiting 10-meter antenna Spektr-R and the 40-m radio telescope in Yebes (Spain) and 32-m ground radio telescope in Torun (Poland). Observing session was held on 2 February 2013. The long projected baseline length (5.4 Earth diameters, about 69 000 km) at the frequency of the water maser transition (22 GHz) corresponds to an angular resolution of about 40 arcsec. This is equivalent to a linear resolution of 0.074 AU (11 million km) for W3 IRS5. This result represents the highest angular resolution ever obtained in observations of water masers. The observations are part of a RadioAstron campaign to explore the existence of very compact maser structures.

With best regards!
Nikolai Kardashev
Yuri Kovalev

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news_en.pdf
« Last Edit: 03/07/2013 05:43 am by Salo »

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #31 on: 03/22/2013 09:05 am »
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1134%2FS1063772913030025

Astronomy Reports
March 2013, Volume 57, Issue 3, pp 153-194

“RadioAstron”-A telescope with a size of 300 000 km: Main parameters and first observational results

N. S. Kardashev, V. V. Khartov, V. V. Abramov, V. Yu. Avdeev, A. V. Alakoz,
 Yu. A. Aleksandrov, S. Ananthakrishnan, V. V. Andreyanov, A. S. Andrianov, N. M. Antonov,    … show all 134

The Russian Academy of Sciences and Federal Space Agency, together with the participation of many international organizations, worked toward the launch of the RadioAstron orbiting space observatory with its onboard 10-m reflector radio telescope from the Baikonur cosmodrome on July 18, 2011. Together with some of the largest ground-based radio telescopes and a set of stations for tracking, collecting, and reducing the data obtained, this space radio telescope forms a multi-antenna ground-space radio interferometer with extremely long baselines, making it possible for the first time to study various objects in the Universe with angular resolutions a million times better than is possible with the human eye. The project is targeted at systematic studies of compact radio-emitting sources and their dynamics. Objects to be studied include supermassive black holes, accretion disks, and relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei, stellar-mass black holes, neutron stars and hypothetical quark stars, regions of formation of stars and planetary systems in our and other galaxies, interplanetary and interstellar plasma, and the gravitational field of the Earth. The results of ground-based and inflight tests of the space radio telescope carried out in both autonomous and ground-space interferometric regimes are reported. The derived characteristics are in agreement with the main requirements of the project. The astrophysical science program has begun.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1134%2FS1063772913030025#page-1

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #32 on: 03/22/2013 09:12 am »

Online Salo

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #33 on: 04/20/2013 03:54 am »
Astro Space Center
RadioAstron Newsletter
Number 20
April 19, 2013
======================
[Russian version see attached to this e-mail]


RadioAstron Key Science Program: July 2013 -- June 2014

Thirteen proposals with about 200 Co-Is from 18 countries (Russia, USA, Germany, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Ukraine, Spain, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Poland, China, Hungary, Mexico, India, Greece) were submitted in responce to the first RadioAstron Announcement of Opportunity (AO-1) to cover the period July 2013 -- June 2014 of the open RadioAstron Key Science Program
http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/ao-1/ao1.html
In an effort to make most efficient use of the time-limited satellite resources, the call for proposals had encouraged the formation of Key Science Programs (KSPs) and the mission held a Key Science Program consortia organization meeting in Bonn in early December 2012. The proposal deadline was 8 February 2013. In total, about 1.8 thousand hours were requested. A technical assessment of the proposals was carried out by the mission. All proposal were evaluated by the RadioAstron Program Evaluation Committee (RPEC) which was appointed by the RadioAstron International Science Council (RISC). Results of the evaluation were approved by the RadioAstron project director. RPEC members for AO-1 were Phil Edwards (chair, CSIRO, Australia), Tim Pearson (Caltech, USA), Misha Popov (ASC Lebedev, Russia), Richard Porcas (MPIfR, Germany), Elaine Sadler (U. Sydney, Australia), and Mark Reid (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, USA). Below we list accepted Key Science Programs which have requested observations with RadioAstron during the AO-1 period in a priority order starting from the highest:

Rank A:
* "Space VLBI Survey of AGN at the Highest Angular Resolutions", PI: Yuri Kovalev (ASC Lebedev, Russia)
* "Studies of Pulsars with RadioAstron", PI: Carl Gwinn (UCSB, USA)
Rank B:
* "The nuclear structure in nearby AGN at 3-500 Schwarzschild radii resolution", PI: Tuomas Savolainen (MPIfR, Germany)
* "Probing the innermost regions of AGN jets and their magnetic fields", PI: James Anderson (MPIfR, Germany)
Rank C:
* "Structure and physics of compact jets in AGN", PI: Manel Perucho (U. Valencia, Spain)
* "Space-VLBI observations of radio-transients", PI: Kirill Sokolovsky (ASC Lebedev and SAI MSU, Russia)
* "Study of the water and hydroxyl maser properties with ultimate angular resolution", PI: Andrey Sobolev (Ural Federal U., Russia)

With best regards!
Nikolai Kardashev ([email protected])
Yuri Kovalev ([email protected])

http://www.asc.rssi.ru/radioastron/news/news_en.pdf

Offline Star One

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #34 on: 04/21/2013 08:23 pm »
Still annoying me this craft gets ignored in the press, I have yet to see it mentioned once in any of the astronomy magazines I read.

Offline baldusi

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #35 on: 04/21/2013 10:36 pm »
I see all this technical briefs. But I've not seen a single explanation of its results, or a laymen explanation of why this is so wonderful. And this has potential for extremely catchy titles on ANSA or Reuter's. Put a nice article with a catchy title and this will get around the world very fast. But they seem to lack the most basic PR.

Offline websquid

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #36 on: 06/28/2013 09:44 pm »
About 3 months ago I made an interview with one of the project scientists for the german website raumfahrer.net. We talked about the science as well as the project history (especially since the launch, how they got the system to work). If you are interested I could post an english version here. Please some feedback: Do you want to read all this in english?

German version (3 parts):
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/17042013190758.shtml
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/18042013224629.shtml
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/20042013013103.shtml

Offline a_langwich

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #37 on: 06/29/2013 08:23 pm »
About 3 months ago I made an interview with one of the project scientists for the german website raumfahrer.net. We talked about the science as well as the project history (especially since the launch, how they got the system to work). If you are interested I could post an english version here. Please some feedback: Do you want to read all this in english?

German version (3 parts):
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/17042013190758.shtml
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/18042013224629.shtml
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/20042013013103.shtml

Sure, or link to an english translation.

Is there just one spacecraft?  How much would it cost I wonder to launch an identical one in a mostly opposing orbit?

Offline baldusi

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #38 on: 06/29/2013 09:06 pm »
About 3 months ago I made an interview with one of the project scientists for the german website raumfahrer.net. We talked about the science as well as the project history (especially since the launch, how they got the system to work). If you are interested I could post an english version here. Please some feedback: Do you want to read all this in english?

German version (3 parts):
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/17042013190758.shtml
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/18042013224629.shtml
http://www.raumfahrer.net/news/astronomie/20042013013103.shtml

An English version would be great!

Offline websquid

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Re: Russian RadioAstron (Spectr-R) update
« Reply #39 on: 06/30/2013 12:25 pm »
OK then I prepare it for this forum. Shouldn't last too long ;)

Is there just one spacecraft?  How much would it cost I wonder to launch an identical one in a mostly opposing orbit?
Yes, there is only one satellite. A second similar satellite would cost about 200+ million $ I think, but this is only a personal estimate.

But there will be no second satellite for the RadioAstron as it looks today, the Astro Space Center is already working on the next project Spektr-M/Millimetron. This will be a combined far-infrared/millimeter-wavelength telescope located at L2. So it is in a way a bigger Herschel Telescope (the FIR-instruments will be based on Herschels) and in a way a RadioAstron successor working in smaller wavelengths (0.3mm until 1.8cm ) - this means, the longest Millimetron wavelengths is compatible with the shortest RadioAstron wavelengths. IF the Spektr-R works long enough and IF Spektr-M is in orbit fast enough - launch is currently estimated somewhere about 2020 - interferometry with two satellites would be possible.

Another project using two satellites is currently under development by China. But I only know that this project exists, no details.

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