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Photon

Beginning in 1985 the USSR/CIS conducted annual unmanned space missions dedicated to materials science research. The Photon spacecraft used for these flights is a derivative of the 1960's era Vostok/Voskhod manned spacecraft and the Zenit military reconnaissance satellites and is very similar to the currently operational Bion and Resurs-F satellites. Prototype Photon satellites were launched during 1985-1987 as Kosmos 1645, Kosmos 1744, and Kosmos 1841. Since 1988, the spacecraft have been officially designated as Photon.

The 6,200-kg spacecraft is 6.2 m in length with a maximum diameter of 2.5 m and is divided into three major sections: The service/retro module, the payload capsule, and an equipment block. The 2.3 m diameter recoverable capsule can handle a payload of up to 700 kg and a volume of 4.7 m³. Electrical power is supplied entirely by storage batteries with 400 W average per day allocated to the payload (up to 700 W for 90 minutes each day). Mission durations for the eight Photon flights to the end of 1992 were 13-16 days (References 792-795).

To minimize perturbation forces, thereby maximizing microgravity conditions (as lowas 10⁵ g), Photon spacecraft are placed in a mildly eccentric orbit at 62.8 degrees inclination and are not maneuvered during the mission. The initial orbits for Photon 4 (4-20 October 1991) and Photon 5 (8-24 October 1992) were 215 km by 397 km and 221 km by 359 km, respectively. Prior to 1991 the annual Photon missions had always been launched in April or May. Launches are performed by the Soyuz booster from Plesetsk, and recoveries are made in Kazakhstan in the primary manned recovery region northeast of the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The year 1993 marked the first time that a Photon mission was not undertaken in the course of the eight-year program. However, in 1994 Photon 6 was launched into an orbit of 221 km by 364 km on 14 June. In addition to Russian materials science experiments, Photon 6 carried out the French Gezon experiment using the Russian Zona-4M electric furnace. (Photon spacecraft have also flown the Zona 1, Zona 4, Splav 2, and Konstanta 2 electric furnaces as well as the Kashtan electrophoresis unit.) Photon 6, which also carried the European Biopan life sciences experiments, was successfully recovered on the 15th day (Reference 788). Two more Photon missions were scheduled for 1995, while a 1996 Photon spacecraft will carry an experimental German reentry capsule named MIRKA. The French firm Carra is developing a new interface module for Photon called Spacepack, which will facilitate the integration of foreign microgravity experiments on Russian spacecraft like Photon (References 789, 796-797).

788. K. P. Dawson, "Japan's Space Plane Faces Termination or Shrinking", Space News, 23-29 November 1992, p. 3.

789. "China Would Lease Payload Space on Its Recoverable Satellites", Aerospace Daily, 25 February 1987, pp. 286-287.

790. Zhongguo Xinwen She News Agency, 26 March 1993.

791. Zhu Yilin, "Space Microgravity Scientific Experiments in China", Spaceflight, October 1993, pp. 334-335.

792. Principal Technical Characteristics of the Space Vehicle "Photon" and Specifications of its Scientific Instrumentation, GLAVKOSMOS, 1987.

793. G. P. Anshakov, et al, "Earth Resources and Research Automated Spacecraft", Photon Design Bureau, 1989.

794. Spacecrafts for the Production Materials and Microgravity Experiments, Photon Design Bureau, GLAVKOSMOS, 1990.

795. Wide Experience in Developing of Space Technology, Photon Design Bureau, 1990.

796. "German Mirka Craft To Launch Aboard Russian Soyuz", Space Newss, 21 November - 4 December 1994, p.17.

797. C. Lardier, "La Capsule Mirka Volera Avec Photon en 1996, Air & Cosmos, 18 November 1994, p. 39.

Sources and Resources

• Adapted from: Europe and Asia in Space 1993-1994, Nicholas Johnson and David Rodvold [Kaman Sciences / Air Force Phillips Laboratory]

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