RadioAstron - Russian Radio Space Telescope

[Guest Greenzen]

A rocket carrying a telescope which will be the most powerful in space was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Scientists have already nicknamed the Zenit-3SB the "green" rocket because it uses kerosene and oxygen as its fuel and is environmentally friendly.

The rocket developed jointly by Russia and Ukraine propeled into orbit a new generation space telescope designed to extend mankind's understanding of the forming of galaxies. This will be the first radio-telescope that Russia has put into space in more than 25 years.

Scientists have chosen a highly eccentric orbit for the station to allow it to turn under the Moon's gravity to scan the sky. The 10-meter telescope will be capable of registering solar wind, quasars, black holes and neutron stars.

This huge eye will be able to provide detailed images of the universe with a resolution 1,000 times sharper than America's Hubble. After a four-hour journey to orbit, the Radiostron will connect to a control center on Earth. It will take some time to calibrate Radiostron and make everything ready to work.

I look forward to viewing RadioAstron's images in the upcoming months.

http://www.asc.rssispammer/radioastron/index.html