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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0838.PDF
FLIGHT International, 26 March 1964 477 Missiles and Spaceflight ELEKTRON DETAILS io 13' A FULL-PAGE description of the Elektron 1 and 2 satellites,their orbits and the Earth's radiation belts was published in Pravda on March 14. This included the first illustrations (reproduced in clarified form on this page) of the two spacecraft. Considerable technical difficulties were overcome, the Pravda article states, in the simultaneous orbiting of two satellites by means of one carrier. A special jet system ensured the separation of the Elektron 1 station from the last stage of the carrier rocket at a strictly set speed. The separation took place practically without any disturbing effect on the further movement of the last stage. In addition, the Elektron 1 station was designed in such a way that it was most compact in the period of separation, had no large protruding parts and did not fall in the zone of action of the jet Stream of the final-stage engine. On the external surface of the craft are the solar cells, aerial systems, some of the instruments, and the solar orientation sensors. On the cylindrical section of the body are located the rotating shutters of" the heat regulating system. Elektron 1 carries collapsible aerials and solar-cell panels which were extended after the separation of the spacecraft from the carrier rocket at a signal from a pro- grammed timer. On Elektron 2 the solar-cell panels are fixed. A variety of scientific instruments are installed aboard the two satellites. During the communication sessions, stored information is transmitted and there is also direct telemetry transmission of a Ekktron I, designed to investigate the inner radiation belt: I, airtight body; 2, heat-regulating shutters; 3, solar cells; 4, aerials; 5, micro- meteorite detector; 6, corpuscular radiation registers; 7, mass spectro- meters; 8, proton detector; 9, electron energy-spectrum instruments Elektron 2, placed in high orbit to investigate the outer radiation belt: I, airtight body; 2, heat-regulating shutters; 3, solar cells; 4, aerials; 5, magnetometer; 6, solar orientation sensors; 7, spherical analyser (energy spectrum of low-energy particles); 8, cosmic-ray chemical composition instruments; 9, electron energy-spectrum instruments; 10 mass spectrometer; II, solar X-radiation instruments; 12, low-energy proton detector; 13, charged-particle traps great number of parameters, including data on the functioning of on-board systems. The functioning of the equipment is controlled independently and on command from the ground. Flight-control—including changes in the parameters of the orbits, reception and registration of telemetry and scientific information, and command signals—is being effected from a ground signalling and measuring complex. The communications sessions confirmed that the Elektron system is reliably controlled by signals from the Earth. Identical instruments are carried on board each of the two craft to measure electrons and protons of various energies. This makes it possible to obtain a picture of the distribution of the radiation belts in space and to correct measurements made by different satellites at various distances from the Earth. Equipment inside the airtight container registers high-energy particles—electrons exceeding 2m electron volts, protons exceeding 30m electron volts and photons exceeding 50,000 electron volts. Instruments to register lower-energy particles are installed on the outer surface of the container. A spherical analyser makes it possible to trap protons and electrons of various energies from 100 electron volts. Low-energy particles are also measured by a charged-particle trap. On Elektron 1 such particles are registered by a special counter in combination with an accelerating tube. By this method it is possible to register electrons from the smallest energies (about 100 electron volts) to several tens of thousands of electron volts. Two magnetometers, one of low sensitivity and one of higher sensitivity, are installed aboard Elektron 2. The simultaneous measurement of various particles and magnetic fields is expected to yield important information on the radiation belts. Pointing to a possible connection between the radiation belts and the composition of the upper part of the Earth's atmosphere, the article states that radio-frequency mass spectrometers enabling the chemical com- position of these upper layers to be determined have been installed in both spacecraft. Elektron 1 carries a micrometeorite detector, and also instruments to register solar X-radiation. These latter instruments should make it possible to correlate the Sun's activity with the state of the radiation belts. Elektron 2, in orbit at a great distance from the Earth and beyond the boundaries of its magnetic field, has instru- ments for detecting the intensity and chemical composition of cosmic radiation. Both satellites carry radio receivers to detect signals from outer space of 200m and 400m wavelength, which are normally screened from the Earth by the ionosphere. The two Elektron satellites were placed in orbit from a single launch vehicle on January 30. By noon on March 12, the article stated, Elektron 1 had completed 357 orbits and 155 radio com- munication sessions, while Elektron 2 had made over 44 orbits and 25 communication sessions.
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