Okno

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Coordinates: 38 ° 16 ′ 51.6 ″  N , 69 ° 13 ′ 30 ″  E

Map: Tajikistan
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Okno​
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Tajikistan

Okno ( Russian Окно for "window") is a facility operated by the Russian space forces in the Central Asian Republic of Tajikistan for tracking objects in orbit . The system monitors space using optical telescopes .

Monitoring station

The Okno complex in 2011
One of the mirror telescopes in its case

The Okno complex is 2200 meters above sea level, about seven kilometers southwest of the city of Norak in the Sanglok Mountains (Sarsarak mountain range) west of the road to Danghara . The system was designed to control manned and unmanned spacecraft in highly elliptical and geostationary orbits.

Okno represents the eye of the Russian space troops. The complex includes ten rotatable and swiveling mirror telescopes equipped with electronics, which are housed in a spherical housing. Each of these systems has a total weight of 41 tons. Four more are to be built soon (as of 2005). The complex is completely automated. This applies to the location of objects at an altitude of 2,000 to 40,000 kilometers, the recording and evaluation of various data relating to these objects as well as coordinates and other photometric information, the calculation of the path parameters and the transmission of the results to the responsible command centers. All information about it is read from the sunlight reflected from a spacecraft, right down to the details of the construction, and its intended use is also determined.

The complex is also suitable for the observation of satellites deployed in low orbits at an altitude of 120 to 2000 kilometers.

The possibilities of the complex result in many ways from its unique location. Most of the year the weather in this mountainous area is clear, which is ideal for observation. The number of hours of night suitable for work - around 1500 hours a year - as well as the transparency and stability of the atmosphere, the place where Okno is located is comparable to the best region in the world in this respect, such as the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile .

The Americans have four similar observation stations that are roughly equidistant along the equator (in the United States, on Diego Garcia Island , in South Korea, and in Hawaii ). The number of annual sunny days is significantly lower in these places.

The geographic location of the Russian complex is such that a space apparatus launched from any US starting point at an altitude of more than 200 kilometers will come into Okno's area of ​​responsibility during the first orbits around the world.

Civil use

The complex in Nurek can also solve tasks related to cosmic activities of civil authorities. In the complex, local research satellites and space apparatus with social and economic purpose are tested and operated, which are brought into high orbits. The complex plays a particularly important role in extraordinary situations such as the loss of a satellite or breakdowns in on-board systems, where the technical condition of the satellite's control systems can hardly be assessed.

The complex can also be used for ecological monitoring of space. For example, it is about solving the problem of so-called space debris. Small objects that could pose a threat to satellites are observed. This is extremely important for manned space travel.

The problem of controlling compliance with legal norms when launching communications satellites into geostationary orbits is currently an acute problem. In cooperation with radio observation equipment, the Okno complex is an important instrument for asserting state and economic interests of Russia.

history

Construction of the complex in Nurek began in 1979. After the escalation of the situation in Tajikistan in 1992 (see Tajik Civil War ), funding had to be temporarily suspended. Only in 1997 did money flow into the project again. Since the summer of 2002, the complex has been part of the Russian military on-duty system on a trial basis. An agreement for use by Russia until 2042 was agreed on October 5, 2012 in Dushanbe . President Vladimir Putin signed the law in May 2013 and ratification by the parliament of Tajikistan is still pending.

supporting documents

Web links

Commons : Okno  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Weeden, Brian et al .: Global Space Situational Awareness Sensors. (PDF, 356 kB) Secure World Foundation, 2010, accessed on April 28, 2014 (English).
  2. ↑ rian.ru - Military Base in Tajikistan: treaty with Russia before ratification 18 September 2013