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Onboard systems of Spektr-R telescope operate in normal mode

According to earlier reports, the launch of Spektr-RG is scheduled for March or April 2019

MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. The onboard systems of Russia’s radio telescope Spektr-R operate normally according to the United States’ research data reception station, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said on Monday.

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"A research data reception station in the United States has managed to identify the carrier frequency of the separate research data transmitter of the space apparatus Spektr-R, which is indirect evidence the onboard systems operate in accordance with the built-in algorithm," Roscosmos said.

The space corporation recalled that on Monday, when Spektr-R would enter the radio visibility zone at 19:00 Moscow time Russian ground stations would continue efforts for restoring communication with the telescope via the command radio line.

"Alongside this preparations are in progress for launching another observatory of the Spektr family - Spektr-RG. Roscosmos’s CEO has identified this task as a high priority," the corporation said. According to earlier reports, the launch of Spektr-RG is scheduled for March or April 2019.

Science adviser to the Roscosmos’s chief, Alexander Bloshenko, earlier told TASS that on Monday morning the Spektr-R telescope would be visible to a data reception station in the United States, which might identify signals from the research data transmission transmitter (which operates separately from the command line).

Problems with Spektr-R

The online resource Gazeta.ru reported problems with Spektr-R on January 11, quoting the chief of the RadioAstron project (to which Spektr-R is affiliated) associate member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yuri Kovalyov. RAS member Nikolai Kardashov, chief of the Astrospace Center of the Lebedev Physics Institute (RadioAstron project client) told TASS that the signal from the space apparatus continued to be received but there were problems with controlling the satellite. Roscosmos later told the media that space satellites control group specialists were trying to eliminate the satellite’s glitches. Also, the space corporation recalled that the radio telescope Spektr-R had exceeded its expected life cycle by 2.5 times.

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