biro@pipa.DEC (02/24/86)
>> in reply to several question about the MIR space station
** MIR SPACE STATION **
The size of the station is so large that it is visible by the
naked eye and easily photograph with simple cameras.
They most likely used one of there new launch vehicle. They have two,
(maybe three with a medium launch unit)
(1) HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE
4,000,000 KG LIFT OFF THRUST
150,000 KM PAYLOAD TO 180 KM
apx 100 Meters tall with 6 or more strap on booster
(booster dia look to be slightly > then 1/2 the dia of the main rocket)
(2) HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE (SHUTTLE TYPE)
3,000,000 KG LIFT OFF THRUST
30,000 KM PAYLOAD TO 180 KM
apx 70 Meters tall with two strap on boosters
( yes they bought the plans for the Shuttle under the
Freedom of Information Act , and it does look like the STS)
They are developing these two systems, a SATURN V-Class heavy-lift
vehicle. This vehicle should be able to lift as much as 150,000 KG.
to low-earth orbit, giving the USSR a tremendous capability to orbit
heavy objects, such as the components for a large, manned space
complex.
The Soviets have made know their plans to replace SALYUT_7 with large
space complexes, supporting 20 or more cosmonauts on a permanent
basis. Such a complex will enhance their space-based military support
and warfighting capabilities. Missions could include military R&D,
on-orbit repair of satellites, reconnaissance, imagery interpretation,
ASAT support operations. Their shuttle orbiter will likely be used to
ferry cosmonauts to this station as well as to place satellites in
orbit. Is this MIR , I am not sure.
The HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE has been ready for launch for some time
but Aviation Week claims that they have been having problems and form
Recon Pictures they see the HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE brought out to
the pad and then returned to the 'hanger', the last time it was laid
down on its side and partly disassembled. It would look like they
used this launch vehicle to launch MIR. I will have to look at the
video tapes again to see if it look like the sketch of the new HEAVY-
LIFT LAUNCH VEHICLE or one of the older rockets. One thing I do remember
about the launch was the fact that the flame came on with a pop and it
was blue, was this because the launch was at night, a different type of
fuel, or just poor video color. However other vehicle with strapped on
boosters include there SL-12 and SL-13 both about 60 Meters tall with
lift-off thrust (KG) of 900,000 and the SL-13 with a payload to 180km
of about 19,500KG. These are the only ones I know of.
I have been monitoring SALYUT_7 on 142.4175 or 143.825 MHz NBFM until
they sudden return to earth. I have several monitoring from about
the 2 of NOV until the 13th of NOV when they started to scrambled the
voice transmissions (sounded like speech inversion). No transmission
as yet have been monitored for MIR.
For those who would like to track or make a visiable sighting of
MIR or SALYUT_7 here are there Keplerian Sets:
Fundamental Keplerian Elements:
Element Set 3: MIR (86-17A) (OBJ 16609 Set: 002)
Reference Epoch: 1986 + 52.124742850
Mean Anomaly deg 266.030400000
Inclination deg 51.612500000
Eccentricity 0.009227900
Mean Motion rev/day 16.152697320
Arg. Perigee deg 94.721300000
R.A.A.N. deg 114.434500000
Other Parameters:
Orbit Number 20
S.M.A. km 6610.522
Apogee Height km 293.363
Perigee Height km 171.361
Anom. Period min 89.149
Decay Rate rev/day^2 9.812E-03
Argument of perigee will rotate 360 degrees
in about 0 years, 87 days.
Earth angle subtended: Apogee Perigee
34.1 26.3 deg
I would assume that they would be adjusting the perigee to put it in
a more maintable orbit, something like SALYUT_7,
Fundamental Keplerian Elements:
Element Set 2: SALYUT_7 (OBJ 13138 Set: 046)
Reference Epoch: 1986 + 48.876398490
Mean Anomaly deg 95.517200000
Inclination deg 51.625800000
Eccentricity 0.000207900
Mean Motion rev/day 15.738694550
Arg. Perigee deg 264.540400000
R.A.A.N. deg 130.239000000
Other Parameters:
Orbit Number 22094
S.M.A. km 6725.945
Apogee Height km 349.183
Perigee Height km 346.387
Anom. Period min 91.494
Decay Rate rev/day^2 1.530E-04
Doppler Freq mhz 142.418
Argument of perigee will rotate 360 degrees
in about 0 years, 93 days.
Earth angle subtended: Apogee Perigee
37.1 36.9 deg