Luna

[DonPMitchell]

http://www.mentallandscape.com/L_Luna.htm

Here are some web pages I am writing about Luna-1 to Luna-3.  Let me know what you think.

  -- Don

[Dude]

Well-done, Don!

[lll]

..

[DonPMitchell]

Attn. to DonPMitchell

Could you include some references on how russian engineers have demonstrated the fact that they have achieved the eacape velocity and how soviet asrtronomers observed the phenomenon?

Radio tracking and ranging, observation of the sodium cloud, termination of transmission from spacecraft on impact.  There are some claims to see the impact of Luna-2 by telescope, but that is questioned.

Is there something in particular I should emphasize more?

[Johannes]

Had "Luna-1" and "Luna-2" a command radio link or were the missions fully automated?

[lll]

The following equipment is housed in the container:
Equipment for radio control of the trajectory of the rocket's movement consisting of a transmitter operating on a frequency of 183.6 megacycles and a block of receivers
http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Luna/Luna1.php
2 января 1959 года радиосистема управления не выдала главную команду на выключение двигателя ракеты, запущенной нами с задачей попадания в Луну. При расследовании оказалось, что антенна радиопеленгатора главного пункта ошибочно была выставлена для связи с бортом носителя не по главному лепестку диаграммы направленности, а по одному из боковых. Траектория ракеты на активном участке отклонилась от расчетной, и "Луна-1" прошла мимо Луны,
http://epizodsspace.testpilot.ru/bibl/chertok/kniga-3/1-7.html
Автоматическое управление работой научной и измерительной аппаратуры осуществлялось электронным программно-временным устройством.
http://epizodsspace.testpilot.ru/bibl/ejeg/1959/59.html#l1

[DonPMitchell]

Had "Luna-1" and "Luna-2" a command radio link or were the missions fully automated?

There was a radio control system on Block-E, the top rocket stage.  I believe this controlled lateral deviation and engine burnout (somewhere above the north pole of the Earth).  This is the system Chertok discusses in the quotation above.  I do not know of any systems under radio command after engine burnout.

The scientfic pods of Luna-1 and -2, I believe, had no radio command system.  I believe they were automatic.

I know that the release of sodium vapor by Luna-1 and -2 (which was on the Block-E, not the science pod) was under control of a clock.  The sodium cloud of Luna-1 was missed because the clock activated it at an unexpected time (according to Vladimir Kurt).

Luna-3 had several radio commands.  Scanning of film, speed of scanning, turning telemetry on and off (to save electric power) are all mentioned in literature.

[lll]

..

[Николай Дзись-Войнаровский]

Don, you had section about GIRD on your web-site. Where is it now?

[Johannes]

In the book Вехи историии (60 лет РНИИКП) one can read.

... Для ракеты Р-7, с целью обеспечения точности попадания головной части по дальности и боковому направлению, была разработана радиосистема, работающая в сантиметровом диапазоне волн в импульсном режиме. Аппаратура системы располагалась на двух пунктах управления, размещенных на расстоянии 250 км по обе стороны от плоскости стрельбы. ... [1]

... For the rocket R-7, for the purpose of the guarantee of accuracy of the entry of head part in the distance and the side direction, was developed the radio system, which works in the centimeter wave band in the pulsed operation. Equipment of system was located on two control posts, placed at the distance of 250 km on both sides from the shooting plane. ...

Don, this text passage describes well what you has stated below the diagram, entitled "Radio Control System for Luna Rocket", however, with the exception that the system works in the cm-range (S-band, 2700-2900 MHz) and not on 183,6 MHz (wavelength 1,634 m). Sven Grahn also mentioned that the last stage of the rocket (Block-E) has carried an S-band transponder for trajectory determination during powered flight. Could it be, that the radio control system which shut down the engine of Block-E worked in the cm-range?


It follows.

... Созданием бортовых и наземных радиотехнических средств управления КА Институт обеспечил выполнение отечественной программы исследования Луны. Первая в мире станция слежения была разработана для контроля за полетом КА «Луна-1» и «Луна-2», направленных к Луне при запусках в январе и сентябре 1959 года (программа Е1). Станция, работающая в метровом диапазоне, была установлена в Крыму, вблизи поселка Симеиз. Она определила время и место «жесткой» посадки на поверхность Луны КА «Луна-2». ... [2]

... With the creation of onboard and ground-based radio-technical means of control KA Institute accomplished the domestic lunar exploration program. The first in the world tracking station was developed for the control of the flight KA "Luna-1" and "Luna-2", directed toward the Moon with starting during January and September 1959 (program E1). The station, which works in the meter range, was established in the Crimea, near Simeiz settlement. It determined time and place of "rigid" landing on the surface of the Moon of KA "Luna-2". ...

This seems to be the system operating on 183,6 MHz. I believe, it mainly (beside telemetry) provided trajectory determination of the "Block-E" and the "scientific pod" during free fall?!

[DonPMitchell]

NNV: Information on GIRD is on my Sputnik pages http://www.mentallandscape.com/S_Sputnik.htm.

Johannes: Yes, I made a mistake on that page.  The R-7 radio guidance operated on 3cm wavelength I believe.  Was this the "Binokl" system?  A decimeter-band interferometer system was used, called "Irtysh".  These were not deep-space, they just were designed to control the rocket until engine burnout.

On Sputnik-3, you can see some small antennas that may operate on these wavelengths also, the Binokl-D and Irtysh-D systems.

[lll]

..

[Николай Дзись-Войнаровский]

NNV: Information on GIRD is on my Sputnik pages http://www.mentallandscape.com/S_Sputnik.htm.

Thank you! I've lost this page but now I find it again

[DonPMitchell]

I am guessing that this is the centimeter-band Binokl antenna, for R-7 trilateration:



And perhaps this is the Irtysh antenna for direction by interferometry:



It would be nice to see larger pictures.

[DonPMitchell]

I added a better discussion of the rocket radio guidance system and what was done on 183.6 MHz for deep-space tracking.

http://www.mentallandscape.com/L_Rocket.htm

And I added more information about how the Luna-2 impact was located on the face of the Moon:

http://www.mentallandscape.com/L_Luna2.htm

Let me know what you think.

[Johannes]

I am not persuaded that "Binokl" (OKB-MEI) was part of Ryazanskiy's radio control system for the rocket R-7. I see "Binokl" as independent trajectory measuring system, only monitoring the flight of the rocket. "Binokl" and the radio control system of the R-7 must be different systems. The above photos certainly don't show antennas of "Binokl" or "Irtysh". I cannot imagine that photos of these devices would be published in a book that praises the achievements of RNIIKP (NII-885).   :wink:

[DonPMitchell]

I am not persuaded that "Binokl" (OKB-MEI) was part of Ryazanskiy's radio control system for the rocket R-7. I see "Binokl" as independent trajectory measuring system, only monitoring the flight of the rocket. "Binokl" and the radio control system of the R-7 must be different systems. The above photos certainly don't show antennas of "Binokl" or "Irtysh". I cannot imagine that photos of these devices would be published in a book that praises the achievements of RNIIKP (NII-885).   :wink:

A good point.  Only Molotov's books talk about the radio control system, so it must have been build by RNII KP, so could not be Binokl.

I will try to ask Molotov about this, I know his son.

[Виктор Левашов]

I am not persuaded that "Binokl" (OKB-MEI) was part of Ryazanskiy's radio control system for the rocket R-7. I see "Binokl" as independent trajectory measuring system, only monitoring the flight of the rocket. "Binokl" and the radio control system of the R-7 must be different systems. The above photos certainly don't show antennas of "Binokl" or "Irtysh". I cannot imagine that photos of these devices would be published in a book that praises the achievements of RNIIKP (NII-885).   :wink:

A good point.  Only Molotov's books talk about the radio control system, so it must have been build by RNII KP, so could not be Binokl.

I will try to ask Molotov about this, I know his son.

А по русски можно???  
Мы же на домене RU

[DonPMitchell]

А по русски можно???  
Мы же на домене RU

Johannes, я смущаю Бинокльс системой «РУП», поэтому я исправлю мои страницы и проведу исследование о том.

[ОАЯ]

http://www.okbmei.ru/page.html?id=29
"Работа велась в интересах войск ПРО, но было понятно, что новые станции «Кама» заменят «Бинокли» на всех трассах испытаний ракет и ИСЗ.
В связи с принятой Правительством СССР программой полетов в сторону Луны ОКБ МЭИ внесло два предложения:
создать большую антенну с эффективной поверхностью 200 кв. м. с целью обеспечения связи с космическими аппаратами в районе Луны (антенна ТНА-200);
создать на базе системы «Алмаз» с участием ЛТИ систему, обеспечивающую фотографирование обратной стороны Луны и последующую построчную передачу этой фотографии на Землю через систему «Алмаз» в ходе обратного полета..."

I. e. "Binoculars"(Бинокль) and "Irtysh"(Иртыш) only for orbits to 300...500 Miles.