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Interbol

The Interbol project, originally developed under the auspices of Interkosmos and planned for launch in the late 1980's, is similar in character to ESA's Cluster with four carefully coordinated spacecraft taking precise measurements of different portions of the magnetosphere. However, the techniques employed are somewhat different. The Interbol constellation will consist of two pairs of spacecraft: one pair with orbits of approximately 500 km by 200,000 km (tail probes) and one pair with orbits of approximately 500 km by 20,000 km (auroral probes). Both pairs will use 65 degrees inclination orbits and will be launched 6-12 months apart by Molniya boosters from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Each pair of spacecraft will consist of a Russian Prognoz M2 class spacecraft and a Czech Magion spacecraft with masses of approximately 1,250 kg (1,400 kg for auroral probe) and 50 kg, respectively. The Prognoz M2 spacecraft is the latest model of the Prognoz geophysical satellites introduced in 1972. Prognoz satellites have pioneered the use of extremely elliptical, 4-day orbits with apogees more than halfway to the Moon. (Prognoz 9 used an even longer 27-day orbit with an apogee of 720,000 km.) The Prognoz M2 spacecraft, with a payload capacity of 250-350 kg, will be spin-stabilized with a main-body diameter of 2.3 m and a height of 5.0 m. With deployed antennas the vehicle will span 12.5 m by 22 m by 22 m. Four solar panels will produce up to 250 W for the scientific payload from a total output of 900 W. Both probes will carry a variety of plasma and charged particle detectors. Swedish, French, and Canadian instruments will also be on board. The Magion sub-satellites will fly in close proximity to the Prognoz spacecraft but will be able to maneuver to as much as 10,000 km from the mother craft (References 63-66).

63. Yu. Gordeyev, Moskovskiy Komsomolets, 7 October 1984, p. 4.

64. Sotsialisticheskaya Industriya, 28 November 1987, p. 2 and 10 November 1988, p. 4.

65. A. Meistera and S. Gorkina, Aviatsiya i Kosmonavtika, August 1993.

66. "Canadian Experiment for Soviet Mission", Spaceflight, February 1988, p. 53.

67. V. Ovcharov, Krasnaya Zvezda, 19 December 1986, p. 4.

68. T. Breus, Aviatsiya i Kosmonavtika, September 1984, p. 39.

69. I.A. Strukov, et al, Pisma V. Astronomicheskiy, May 1992, pp. 387-395.

70. Kosmicheskiye Issledovaniya, July-August 1992, pp. 435-454; July-August 1993, pp. 18-37; February 1994, pp. 3-35.

71. I.A. Strukov, et al, "Relikt-2 Project: Scientific Program and Structure", Paper IAF-90-421, 41st Congress of the International Astronautical Federation, 1990.

72. "Small Solar Sail Spacecraft for Regatta Project", Zemlya I Vselennaya, January-February 1991, p. 3.

73. G.A. Avanesov, "Small Space Lab - 'Regatta' Project Spacecraft", Pr-1692, Institute of Space Research, 1990.

74. A. Yu. Kogan, "The New SpacecraR 'Regatta'", Space Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 8-10, 1993.

75. "Regatta Ready To Sail", Spaceflight, June 1991, p.191.

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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