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Bion
Bion -

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Manufacturer's Designation: 12KS. Class: Biology. Nation: USSR. Manufacturer: TsKB.

Bion was developed for biological studies of the effects of radiation. The spacecraft was based on the Zenit reconnaissance satellite and launches began in 1973 with primary emphasis on the problems of radiation effects on human beings. Launches in the program included Cosmos 110, 605, 670, 782, plus Nauka modules flown on Zenit-2M reconnaissance satellites. 90 kg of equipment can be contained in the external Nauka module.


Specification

Design Life: 30 days. Total Mass: 5,400 kg. Total Payload: 625 kg.


Bion Chronology


31 October 1973 Cosmos 605 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 213 km. Apogee: 403 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 21.50 days.

Investigation of the influence of space flight on living organisms and testing of life-support systems for biological entities. Capsule recovered 53 deg 29 min N, 65 deg 27 min E.


23 October 1974 Cosmos 690 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 215 km. Apogee: 364 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 20.50 days.

Biological research. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.


25 November 1975 Cosmos 782 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 218 km. Apogee: 384 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 19.50 days.

Biological research. Continued investigation of the effects of space flight on living organisms. Capsule recovered 52 deg 17 min N, 64 deg 11 min E. The Cosmos 782 mission marked the first time that the United States participated in the Soviet Cosmos Program. Scientists from France, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. participated in these investigations. Additional Details: Cosmos 782.


03 August 1977 Cosmos 936 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 219 km. Apogee: 396 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 18.60 days.

Biological research. Scientists from the U.S.S.R., the U.S., Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the German Democratic Republic conducted experiments in physics and biology on the mission. The biosatellite was recovered at 51 deg 53 min N, 61 deg 30 min E, near Kustanay in Central Asia after remaining in orbit for 18.5 days. Additional Details: Cosmos 936.


25 September 1979 Cosmos 1129 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 213 km. Apogee: 376 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 18.50 days.

Biological experiments; embryo development, radiation medicine. Biosatellite for the continued investigation of the effects of space flight on living organisms. Capsule recovered 52 deg 17 min N, 65 deg 30 min E. Cosmos 1129 satellite carried biological and radiation physics experiment packages from Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the German Democratic Republic, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Additional Details: Cosmos 1129.


14 December 1983 Cosmos 1514 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 211 km. Apogee: 255 km. Inclination: 82.3 deg. Duration: 5.00 days.


Cosmos 782 / BionCosmos 782 / Bion

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Biological experiments. Continued investigation of the influence of space flight factors on living organisms. Carried monkeys Abrek and Bion. Capsule recovered 52 deg 42 min N, 62 deg 48 min E. The first U.S.S.R. orbital flight of a non-human primate was accomplished on the Cosmos 1514 mission. Two monkeys flew on the mission, together with several pregnant rats. More than 60 experiments were performed by investigators from Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, France, the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. U.S. scientists conducted three experiments on the primates and another experiment on the rat subjects. Additional Details: Cosmos 1514.
10 July 1985 Cosmos 1667 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 5,700 kg. Perigee: 206 km. Apogee: 262 km. Inclination: 82.4 deg. Duration: 6.90 days.

Biological research. Carried monkeys Verniy and Gordiy. Continued investigations of the influence of space flight factors on living organisms and radiation physics research. Cosmos 1667 was the second USSR biosatellite mission with a primate payload. Cosmos 1667 also featured a large rodent payload, however the U.S. only conducted a single experiment cardiovascular experiment on one of the two flight monkeys. Mission parameters were very similar to those of Cosmos 1514. Countries participating in the mission included the USSR, U.S., France, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Additional Details: Cosmos 1667.


29 September 1987 Cosmos 1887 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 214 km. Apogee: 382 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 13.00 days.

Biological research. Carried monkeys Drema and Erosha. Continued investigations of the influence of space flight factors on living organisms and radiation physics research. Capsule recovered 62 deg 47 min N, 112 deg 26 min E (?). Additional Details: Cosmos 1887.


15 September 1989 Cosmos 2044 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 203 km. Apogee: 264 km. Inclination: 82.3 deg. Duration: 14.00 days.

29 US/USSR life science experiments conducted on monkeys, insects, plants, fish, rats. Carried monkeys Zhankonya and Zabiyaka. Cosmos 2044 was the seventh Soviet Biosatellite to orbit the Earth with joint U.S./U.S.S.R. experiments onboard. Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Canada, Poland, Britain, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the European Space Agency also participated in the mission. The joint U.S./U.S.S.R. experiments were conducted on two rhesus monkeys and ten rats that were flown onboard the Biosatellite. The biological payload on the spacecraft also included fish, amphibians, insects, worms, protozoans, cell cultures and plants. Last launch from LC41. Additional Details: Cosmos 2044.


29 December 1992 Cosmos 2229 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,000 kg. Perigee: 216 km. Apogee: 372 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 12.00 days.

Biological research; carried monkeys Ivasha and Krosha. International study of the adaptation of living organisms to conditions of space flight. After 12 days in Earth orbit, the capsule was recovered 50 deg 46 min N, 73 deg 08 min E, about 100 kilometers north of the city of Karaganda. The Cosmos 2229 mission was also referred to as Bion 10, because it was the tenth in a series of Soviet/Russian unmanned satellites carrying biological experiments. Additional Details: Cosmos 2229.


24 December 1996 Bion No. 11 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Perigee: 216 km. Apogee: 375 km. Inclination: 62.8 deg. Duration: 15.00 days.

Biological research. Carried monkeys Lalik and Multik.



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Last update 12 March 2001.
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