Parus (satellite)
Parus (Russian Парус for " sailing ", GRAU index 11F627 ) is the name of a series of former Soviet and now Russian data relay satellite for the predominantly military use. They are also known under the name Zikada -M and the manufacturer name Zyklon-B and take over the data communication with ships and submarines as well as their localization. Because of their military character get the satellite Parus a series Cosmos camouflage and taken into space by Kosmos- 3M rocket from Plesetsk from.
History
The development of the satellites as successors of the cyclone system began in the 1960s and 1967, made its first flight tests of components of the system. The first satellite was launched on December 26, 1974 under the name of Cosmos 700. In 1976, the system was officially put into service, which consists of six satellites in staggered by 30 ° lines. In each of these paths is normally a spare satellite is available, so that the system consists of twelve operational satellites. The 99th and so far last satellite of this series was launched on 27 April 2010 under the name Cosmos 2463 into orbit.
The civilian version of the system Parus was the Zikada series ( GREY index 11F643 ), whose development began in 1974, in 1976 the first tests was performed and launching of satellites from 1978. The satellites were a bit lighter than their military counterparts with 820 kg mass, allowing easier handling of the signals. Compared with the Parus system only four satellites were within a 45 ° offset paths are used. So far, 20 satellites of this type have been started. The civil Zikada series was shut down in November 2003. Some of the Zikada satellites ( GRAU index 11F643N ( cosmos ), 17F118 ( Nadezhda )) were equipped with a satellite-based search and rescue system for the COSPAS -SARSAT. Of these, some of the Nadezhda ( Hope German ) were launched called system equipped satellites under that name. A corresponding agreement was signed May 6, 1977 and June 30, 1982 started with Kosmos 1383, the first satellite equipped with the system. In Cosmos 2315, the system was replaced with a more modern type course. At Nadeschda -M was a new system of the type SM - RK, which is also installed on the Sterch satellites used.
An inactive Parus satellite made the headlines of early 2009, when he collided with an active Iridium satellite and a debris cloud generated that is still circling for many years in orbit.
Technology
The drum-shaped and twist or gravitationally stabilized by a boom satellites are about 825 kilograms and have a diameter of about two meters. They are based on the KAUR -1 satellite bus and save (similar to the Strela satellites ) the received messages and send them over the target area again. Data transfer takes place in the VHF range at about 150 and 400 MHz, continuously emitted signals with position and track data to ships until the introduction of the GLONASS system, the location determination allowed by Doppler shift. The system thereby reaching an accuracy of about 100 m, where only the repeated measurement of the signals at different rounds of Satellite applied appropriate accuracy. The power supply of about 200 watts of power via solar cells to the outside of the satellite. The life span is about three to four years.