Astron (satellite)
| Astron | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Space telescope |
| Country: |
 Soviet Union
|
| COSPAR-ID : | 1983-020A |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 3500 kg |
| Size: | 6 m length |
| Begin: | March 23, 1983, 12:45 UTC |
| Starting place: | Baikonur 200/39 |
| Launcher: | Proton-K / D-1 307-01 |
| Status: | in orbit, disabled |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 5925 min |
| Orbit inclination : | 60.7 ° |
| Apogee height : | 191,944 km |
| Perigee height : | 12,254 km |
Astron was a Soviet space telescope . It was used for ultraviolet and x-ray images . It was launched into orbit on March 23, 1983 with a Proton rocket . Its highly elliptical orbit as a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellite ensured that Astron was 90% of the time outside the Earth's shadow and radiation belt . The satellite was 6 meters long, had a total mass of 3,500 kg and was based on the design of the Venera spacecraft. Operated for six years, Astron was the largest ultraviolet telescope in space in its day.
Individual evidence
Web links
- NASA: information about the Astron-satellite (English)
- Astron in the Encyclopedia Astronautica (English)