Pluton (complex)
Encyclopedia
Pluton is a system of deep space communications and a planetary radar. It was built near Yevpatoria in 1960, and consists of at at least three antennas. Three of them are of the ADU-1000 design, an assembly of eight mirrors, each with diameter of 16 meters. At the North station, two receiver antennas were built, and a transmitter was constructed 8.5 kilometers away at the South station..
Each receiving dish has a Cassegrain system with subreflectors
mounted on quadrapods in front of the dishes. The dishes were placed on two hull
of diesel submarines, welded together and laid down on the railway bridge trusses. The antennas of ADU-1000 were mounted on steerable frames constructed from battleship gun turrets
and railway bridge trusses.
The Pluton complex supported all the Soviet space programs until 1978, when the Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope
was built. The Pluton complex was the world's highest capacity deep space communication system prior to Goldstone
in 1966.
In 1961 it performed one of the world's first radiolocation
s of the planet Venus
. In June 1962 it performed the world's first successful radiolocation
of the planet Mercury
. In February 1963 it performed successful radiolocation
of the planet Mars
. In September - October 1963 it performed successful radiolocation
of the planet Jupiter
.
On 19 and 24 November 1962, the words «MIR
», «LENIN
», and «SSSR» were sent in the direction of the star HD131336 in the constellation Libra
. These message (The Morse Message (1962)
) are the first radio broadcasts for extraterrestrial civilizations
in the history of mankind.
As Planetary radar:
Radioastronomy:
Each receiving dish has a Cassegrain system with subreflectors
Cassegrain reflector
The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas....
mounted on quadrapods in front of the dishes. The dishes were placed on two hull
Submarine hull
The term light hull is used to describe the outer hull of a submarine, which houses the pressure hull, providing hydrodynamically efficient shape, but not holding pressure difference...
of diesel submarines, welded together and laid down on the railway bridge trusses. The antennas of ADU-1000 were mounted on steerable frames constructed from battleship gun turrets
Stalingrad Class Battlecruiser
The Stalingrad-class battlecruiser, also known in the Soviet Union as Project 82 , was intended to be built for the Soviet Navy after World War II. Three ships were ordered, but none were ever completed....
and railway bridge trusses.
The Pluton complex supported all the Soviet space programs until 1978, when the Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope
Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope
The Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope is an RT-70 radio telescope and planetary radar at the Center for Deep Space Communications, Yevpatoria, Crimea, Ukraine. In the scientific literature is often called Evpatoria planetary radar .With its 70m antenna diameter, it is among the largest single dish...
was built. The Pluton complex was the world's highest capacity deep space communication system prior to Goldstone
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex — commonly called the Goldstone Observatory — is located in California's Mojave Desert. Operated by ITT Corporation for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its main purpose is to track and communicate with space missions. It includes the Pioneer...
in 1966.
In 1961 it performed one of the world's first radiolocation
Radiolocation
Radiolocating is the process of finding the location of something through the use of radio waves. It generally refers to passive uses, particularly radar—as well as detecting buried cables, water mains, and other public utilities. It is similar to radionavigation, but radiolocation usually...
s of the planet Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
. In June 1962 it performed the world's first successful radiolocation
Radar astronomy
Radar astronomy is a technique of observing nearby astronomical objects by reflecting microwaves off target objects and analyzing the echoes. This research has been conducted for six decades. Radar astronomy differs from radio astronomy in that the latter is a passive observation and the former an...
of the planet Mercury
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
. In February 1963 it performed successful radiolocation
Radar astronomy
Radar astronomy is a technique of observing nearby astronomical objects by reflecting microwaves off target objects and analyzing the echoes. This research has been conducted for six decades. Radar astronomy differs from radio astronomy in that the latter is a passive observation and the former an...
of the planet Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. In September - October 1963 it performed successful radiolocation
Radar astronomy
Radar astronomy is a technique of observing nearby astronomical objects by reflecting microwaves off target objects and analyzing the echoes. This research has been conducted for six decades. Radar astronomy differs from radio astronomy in that the latter is a passive observation and the former an...
of the planet Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
.
On 19 and 24 November 1962, the words «MIR
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
», «LENIN
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
», and «SSSR» were sent in the direction of the star HD131336 in the constellation Libra
Libra (constellation)
Libra is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for weighing scales, and its symbol is . It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east.-Notable features:]...
. These message (The Morse Message (1962)
The Morse Message (1962)
In 1962, a radio message in Morse code was transmitted from EPR in 1962 and directed to planet Venus. The word "MIR" was transmitted from the EPR on November 19, 1962, and the words "LENIN" and "SSSR" ) on November 24, 1962, respectively. All three words were sent using the Morse code. In...
) are the first radio broadcasts for extraterrestrial civilizations
Active SETI
Active SETI is the attempt to send messages to intelligent aliens. Active SETI messages are usually in the form of radio signals. Physical messages like that of the Pioneer plaque may also be considered an active SETI message...
in the history of mankind.
Missions
As Deep space communication system:- VeneraVeneraThe Venera series probes were developed by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1984 to gather data from Venus, Venera being the Russian name for Venus...
-1,-2,-3,-4,-5,-6.-7.-9,-10,-11,-12 - MarsMars probe programThe Mars program was a series of unmanned spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union between 1960 and 1973. The spacecraft were intended to explore Mars, and included flyby probes, landers and orbiters....
-2,-3,-4,-5,-6,-7 - 1995-2000 - Interball-1
- November 16, 1996 - Mars 96Mars 96Mars 96 was a failed Mars mission launched in 1996 to investigate Mars by the Russian Space Forces and not directly related to the Soviet Mars probe program of the same name. After failure of the second fourth-stage burn, the probe assembly re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, breaking up over a...
.
As Planetary radar:
- 1961 April 18 and 26 - the world's first successful radiolocation of the planet VenusVenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
. - June 1962, after increasing the sensitivity of the receiving equipment - the world's first radiolocation of the planet MercuryMercury (planet)Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
. - October-November 1962 - second radar study of VenusVenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
. - February 1963 - radiolocation of the planet MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. - September - October 1963 -radiolocation of the planet JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
.
Radioastronomy:
- April 1964 - study Crab NebulaCrab NebulaThe Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus...
- 2004 - study coronal holes.