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Geo-IK
Geo-IK -

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Other Designations: Eridan. Article Number: 11F666. Code Name: Musson. Class: Earth. Type: Geodetic. Nation: USSR. Manufacturer: NPO PM.

This second generation geodetic system began development in the second half of the 1970's. Flight trials began in 1981. GEO-IK was the final KAUR-1 bus spacecraft with 'wrapped' panels on a cylindrical body. While it used the standard pressurized instrument container and gravity-gradient single-axis passive orientation system, it was much heavier than earlier spacecraft, with more elaborate systems and a deployable outer sheath of solar cells. It provided five ways for determining satellites position:

  • Doppler system working at 150 and 400 MHz and providing 3 cm accuracy
  • High intensity lights flashing 3 times per second, allowing precise location by ground observatories
  • Radio transponder working at 5.7/3.4 GHz and providing 5 m accuracy
  • Laser reflectors providing 1.5 m accuracy
  • Radar altimeter working at 9.4 GHz providing 5 m altitude accuracy. This was equipped with a separate autonomous system for accurate pointing.
    Specification

    Total Length: 3.0 m. Maximum Diameter: 2.0 m. Total Mass: 1,600 kg.

    Geo-IK Chronology

    23 January 1981 Geo-IK no. 1 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. FAILURE: Failure - unknown cause. Mass: 1,500 kg.
    30 September 1981 Cosmos 1312 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,488 km. Apogee: 1,500 km. Inclination: 82.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    24 September 1982 Cosmos 1410 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,490 km. Apogee: 1,499 km. Inclination: 82.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    24 November 1983 Cosmos 1510 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,478 km. Apogee: 1,521 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    08 August 1984 Cosmos 1589 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,490 km. Apogee: 1,500 km. Inclination: 82.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    14 June 1985 Cosmos 1660 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,480 km. Apogee: 1,522 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    11 February 1986 Cosmos 1732 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,478 km. Apogee: 1,522 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    02 December 1986 Cosmos 1803 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,494 km. Apogee: 1,500 km. Inclination: 82.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    20 February 1987 Cosmos 1823 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,476 km. Apogee: 1,522 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    30 May 1988 Cosmos 1950 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,481 km. Apogee: 1,520 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

    28 August 1989 Cosmos 2037 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,482 km. Apogee: 1,522 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of outer space.

    30 July 1990 Cosmos 2088 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,481 km. Apogee: 1,522 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of outer space.

    22 December 1992 Cosmos 2226 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,477 km. Apogee: 1,522 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.

    Investigation of outer space.

    29 November 1994 Geo-IK Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 1,500 kg. Perigee: 1,480 km. Apogee: 1,526 km. Inclination: 73.6 deg.
    Bibliography:

    • 102 - Voevodin, Sergey A, VSA072 - Space Apparatus, "Sergey A. Voevodin's Reports", . HTML when accessed: http://www.mcs.net/~rusaerog/sergeyv/VSA.html
    • 114 - Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "Zapushchen sputnik 'Geo-IK'", 1994, Issue 24, page 23.
    • 445 - Melnik, T G, Voenno-Kosmicheskiy Siliy, Nauka, Moscow, 1997..
    • 449 - Golotyuk, S, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "Sputnikostroiteli s beregov Yeniseya", No. 10, 1999, p. 64.
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    Last update 12 March 2001.
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    © Mark Wade, 2001 .