Curated by:
| Scientific Zenit Missions
The Soviet Union flew several orbital missions with the object of studying high energy particles (cosmic rays) and extremely short wavelength radiation - gamma rays and x-rays.
 In the early days, scientists were able to take advantage of the test flight undertaken by what is now known as the Proton rocket.
As a name, Proton emerged first as the payload for the heavy lift booster and in later years was transferred to the booster itself. The first three flight used a two-stage configuration to put payloads in the region of 12 tonnes into space. The fourth flight used an upper stage with the result that nearly 17 tonnes mass found its way into orbit. It meant that large instruments could be lofted. The photo on the right shows the piece of high-energy physics equipment carried by Proton 4. It is similar in shape but somewhat larger than the Sokol, being some three metres tall where the Sokol had to fit into a space less than half the dimensions.
Once the Proton opportunities had passed, Soviet scientists had to find other means of getting large sensors into orbit. Proton could not return to Earth so could only collect information electronically and pass it back via a telemetry link. The Zenit spacecraft offered the opportunity both to carry sensors to collect information on events as they occurred, and to bring-blocks of sensitive emulsions so that the tracks of charged particles could be studied and measured.
 On Earth, with such instruments, the emulsion blocks can be changed out periodically but in orbit, without a cosmonaut present, that could not be done. As a result, the earlier, Energiya, missions were limited to four days on orbit so that the recording medium did not become saturated. The later Efir, using more modern and robust technology , was able to spend several weeks in space.
The first Energiya payload went under the name 'Intercosmos 6' because research equipment and experimental material was provided by eastern-bloc countries under the agreement of the same name. The second mission was announced as a purely Soviet-driven payload and got the next-in-series name of Cosmos 1026.
The diagram on the left is taken from a scientific paper covering some of the findings from the Cosmos 1543 experiments. The annotation to go with the numbers is lost but it gives a general indication of the layout of detectors and emulsion layers in the Sokol instrument.
Some sources indicate that the descent modules of the Efir satellites were not fitted with heat shielding and that the satellites were deliberately destroyed through a controlled re-entry after the 26 day mission.
Intercosmos 6(Energiya № 1) 1972-027A 5936 |
1972 Apr 7, 10:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
1972 Apr 07, 17:13: 203 x 248 km, 51.77 deg, 89.0 min |
High-energy physics research satellite based on the Zenit imaging satellite with the science payload replacing the cameras. The main instrument on board was an ionization calorimeter assembled by the Soviet Union with some of components supplied by Hungary, Poland, Mongolia, Czechoslavakia, and Roumania. Also included was a multilayered silver bromide photographic emulsion stack designed to detect and track high-energy primary cosmic rays, as well as electronic equipment to detect, identify and measure the same radiation. A meteorite detector was also carried built with components from the USSR, Czecholslovakia and the Hungary. Total Mass of internal scientific instrumentation - 1200 kg, including 1070 kg for the high-energy particle detectors. Part of the payload was carried in an autonomous 'Nauka' module. Intercosmos 6 built on the work undertaken by the 'Proton' satellites, 1965-1968. Returned to Earth after four days - the mission duration was chosen to avoid the detector emulsions becoming saturated. |
Landed: 1974 Apr 11, 10:37 |
HF Transmit: 19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM |
VHF Transmit: 67.140 MHz, AM? |
Cosmos 1026(Energiya №2) 1978-069A 10977 |
1978 Jul 2, 09:30 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Soyuz-U |
1978 Jul 02, 13:45: 211 x 244 km, 51.77 deg, 89.1 min |
High-energy physics research satellite based on the Zenit imaging satellite with the science payload replacing the cameras. Investigating primary cosmic radiation and meteoritic particles in near-earth outer space using equipment similar to that aboard Intercosmos 6 (1972-27A/5936). Part of the payload was carried in an autonomous 'Nauka' module. |
Landed: 1978 Jul 6, 10:10 |
HF Transmit: 19.995 MHz, FSK |
|
Cosmos 1543(Efir №1) 1984-026A 14797 |
1984 Mar 10, 17:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Soyuz-U |
1984 Mar 10, 22:44: 216 x 395 km, 62.82 deg, 90.6 min 1984 Apr 04, 08:19: 216 x 379 km, 62.81 deg, 90.5 min |
Science satellite based on the Bion derivative of the Zenit spacecraft and studying the energy spectrum and charge composition of primary cosmic rays with energy above 2 TeV. The main instrument was the 'Sokol', consisting of an ionization calorimeter and two Cerenkov detectors which was used to investigate primary cosmic rays at energies of 1-10 TeV. Total mass of scientific equipment - 2450 kg. Part of the payload was carried in an autonomous 'Nauka' module. Functioned until 1984 Apr 5 when the satellite executed a destructive re-entry - the cabin had no heat shielding. Efir in English is 'Ether'. |
Not Recovered |
|
|
Cosmos 1713(Efir №2) 1985-120A 16429 |
1985 Dec 27, 17:04 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Soyuz-U |
1985 Dec 28, 00:21: 216 x 398 km, 62.82 deg, 90.7 min 1986 Jan 21, 21:00: 217 x 391 km, 62.81 deg, 90.6 min 1986 Jan 22, 12:06: 188 x 303 km, 62.77 deg, 89.4 min |
Science satellite based on the Bion derivative of the Zenit spacecraft and studying the energy spectrum and charge composition of primary cosmic rays with energy above 2 TeV. The main instrument was the 'Sokol-2', consisting of an ionization calorimeter and Cerenkov detectors, which was used to investigate primary cosmic rays at energies of 1-10 TeV. Total mass of scientific equipment - 2450 kg. Part of the payload was carried in an autonomous 'Nauka' module. Functioned until 1986 Jan 22 when the satellite executed a destructive re-entry - the cabin had no heat shielding. Efir in English is 'Ether'. |
Not Recovered |
|
|
Page date: 2011 September
Descriptions updated 2019 September
|
|
