Meteor-2

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Meteor-2

Meteor-2 -

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Article Number: 11F632. Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Nation: USSR. Manufacturer: VNIIEM.

Work began to develop solutions for second generation hydrographic and meteorological observation systems in 1967. Compared to Meteor-1, the Meteor-2 had a longer design operational life (one year vs. six months) and the capability to transfer data to automatically to military APPI stations (Autonomous Points of Information Collection). Prime contractor was VNIIEM Mineletrotekhprom (A G Yosifiyan). In 1969 the TTZ specification was issued by the Ministry of Defence and the Main Hydro - meteorological Office of the Soviet Ministers. Draft project was completed in 1971. Due to difficulties by NPO Geofizika in development of spectrometer equipment, the first test unit was not completed until 1975. Flight trials under Major General V I Sheulov commenced in July 1975.

Meteor-2 had higher tolerance dynamic characteristics and featured numerous sensors, including:

3 view optico-mechanical multi-spectral/infrared scanning television, with extended reception by ground stations at any point of each orbit
Radiometric sensor for uninterrupted observation of electromagnetic fields in space
Eight channel infrared radiometer for observation of global vertical temperature profiles

The Meteor-2 was checked out prior to launch by the first automatic digital spacecraft test system in the Soviet Union. Meteors were launched into 81.2 degree orbits, at 850 km altitude, allowing a revisit of every location at 6 and 12 hour intervals by a constellation of three satellites at 90 to 180 degree intervals. Each satellite could observe 30,000 sq. km at a time. Data was processed at hydro-meteorological offices at Moscow, Novsibirsk, and Khaborovsk.

The Meteor series served the Ministry of Defence by providing:

Operational meteorological data for reconnaissance satellite scheduling
Operational weather data for use by the Armed Forces in local and global operations
Monitoring of radiation in near-earth space.

There were 50 APPI reception stations in the USSR, friendly Socialist countries, and in the equatorial regions of the earth. Each location could receive views from 3,000 to 5,000 km away.

Flight trials began reasonable well, but delays were encountered due to the technological base at VNIIEM and Istra. Therefore a resolution of 4 June 1970 ordered VNIIEM to develop a parallel design of another meteosat for the hydrology office alone. This was not put into production. In its place a resolution of 16 December 1972 ordered development of a third generation system. This used the Planeta-S sensor package in the non-co-orbital Meteor-3 system plus the geostationary system Elektro. There were only seven launches of Meteor-3, and a single launch of Elektro, in 1994. Meteor-2 remained in service throughout this period and Meteor-3 was finally cancelled.

Specification

Design Life: 2 years. Total Mass: 2,750 kg.

Meteor-2 Chronology

04 June 1970 Meteor-2 authorised.

Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On standardised weather satellite system' was issued. The resolution also ordered VNIIEM to develop a parallel design of another meteosat for the hydrology office alone. This was not put into production.

11 July 1975 Meteor 2-01 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. Mass: 2,750 kg. Perigee: 844 km. Apogee: 876 km. Inclination: 81.3 deg.

Acquisition of meteorological information needed for use by the weather service.

07 January 1977 Meteor 2-02 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. Mass: 2,750 kg. Perigee: 875 km. Apogee: 893 km. Inclination: 81.3 deg.

Acquisition of meteorological information needed for use by the weather service.

14 December 1977 Meteor 2-03 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. Mass: 2,750 kg. Perigee: 847 km. Apogee: 874 km. Inclination: 81.2 deg.

Acquisition of meteorological information needed for use by the weather service.

26 October 1978 Cosmos 1045 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 3. Mass: 2,670 kg. Perigee: 1,683 km. Apogee: 1,702 km. Inclination: 82.5 deg.

Probable oceanographic. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

01 March 1979 Meteor 2-04 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. Mass: 2,750 kg. Perigee: 835 km. Apogee: 873 km. Inclination: 81.2 deg.

Acquisition of meteorological information required for use in the operational weather service with the aid of advanced equipment.

31 October 1979 Meteor 2-05 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. Mass: 2,750 kg. Perigee: 861 km. Apogee: 879 km. Inclination: 81.2 deg.

Acquisition of meteorological information required for use in the operational weather service with the aid of advanced equipment.

09 September 1980 Meteor 2-06 Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. Mass: 2,750 kg. Perigee: 833 km. Apogee: 886 km. Inclination: 81.2 deg.