|
Class: Communications. Type: Amateur Radio. Destination: Space Station Orbit. Nation: Russia. Agency: Aero Club de France, Reunion chapter. Two subscale models of Sputnik 1, were built by students for hand-launch from Mir on fortieth anniversary of Sputnik 1. Sputnik-40 was launched by the Mir crew on a spacewalk in 1997. Progress M-40 delivered a more advanced version, Sputnik 41. On a spacewalk from Mir on November 10, Padalka and Avdeyev hand-launched the amateur-radio minisatellite. The PS models carried a small transmitter and were sponsored by Aero Club de France, AMSAT-France, and the Astronautical Federation of Russia. The second Sputnik-40 flight model was still aboard Mir as of 1998. The second Spoutnik-40 would perhaps be deployed prior to the abandonment of Mir in 1999. Typical orbit: 369 km x 378 km at 52 degrees inclination. Associated Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
PS Model Chronology - 1997 November 10 - Sputnik-40 -
Two subscale models of Sputnik 1, were built by students for hand-launch from Mir on fortieth anniversary of Sputnik 1. Progress M-40 delivered a more advanced version, Sputnik 41. On a spacewalk from Mir on November 10, Padalka and Avdeyev hand-launched the amateur-radio minisatellite. The PS models carried a small transmitter and were sponsored by Aero Club de France, AMSAT-France, and the Astronautical Federation of Russia.
- 1998 October 25 - Spoutnik-41 - Program: Oscar. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Perigee: 313 km (194 mi). Apogee: 318 km (197 mi). Inclination: 51.70 deg.
On a space walk from Mir on November 10, Padalka and Avdeyev hand-launched the Spoutnik-41 amateur-radio mini-satellite at around 19:30 GMT. Spoutnik-41, also designated RS-18, was another scale model of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, launched 41 years ago. It carried a small transmitter and was sponsored by Aero Club de France, AMSAT-France, and the Astronautical Federation of Russia.
A similar model was launched in 1997 for the fortieth anniversary of Sputnik. On that occasion, two flight models were carried to Mir but only one was launched. The second Spoutnik-40 flight model was still aboard Mir as of 1998. The second Spoutnik-40 would perhaps be deployed prior to the abandonment of Mir in 1999.
Bibliography and Further Reading - McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- NASA GSFC Orbital Parameters, .
|