The Russian Space Forces are celebrating their professional holiday today. The sounds of space can be heard in Crimea in the Distant Space Radio Center. The center used to conduct research on Venus and Mars and control orbital spacecraft flights.
Yana Shcherbataya will tell us how the famous center operates today.
"Object A001.3207 to be ready in 15 minutes".
"76th, A001.3207 to be ready in 15 minutes".
They run an equipment check as the Distant Space Radio Center prepares for contact with the ISS.
The data on the technical state of the ISS is sent from orbit to Earth.
Artur Agasiev, Deputy Director of a section of the RT-70 complex: "It's the data on the state of equipment, pressure, internal and external temperature, the state of oxygen, and the working capacity of their systems, including power units. The ground team helps cosmonauts make sure that they're in good hands".
The work of the center is automated. Encrypted data from Yevpatoriya is sent to Moscow. Nowadays, the Russian military receives and sends data to domestic satellites and the ISS. Yevpatoriya is again becoming the country's leading space center, just like it used to be in the early days of space exploration.
Today, the legendary Pluton complex is just a museum exhibition, but in the middle of the last century, these antennas were used by scientists to explore Venus and Mars. It was here where the first signal to potential extraterrestrial civilizations was sent. It was a simple Russian word — mir (peace). This message is still traveling through space to other stellar systems.
The construction of the three-antenna complex began in 1960. It was led by academicians Korolev and Keldysh. It was done in record time; in less than a year, a facility, which had no analogs in the world, was built near Yevpatoriya. It was constructed with materials that were nigh at hand.
Andrey Dimaev, a duty assistant to the officer in charge of a signals office: "The pivot mechanism comes from a large-caliber gun of the battleship Sevastopol. It was decommissioned in the city of the same name. Higher up is the truss of a railroad bridge. And the antennas — these plates and cups — are from the body of a decommissioned submarine, an Italian submarine that we got as reparations after World War II".
It was here where Gagarin's famous Poekhali! (Let's go!) was first heard. For decades, Yevpatoriya was the leader in space exploration. The center fell into decay during Ukraine's rule. The work was stopped, and one of the three antennas of the Pluton complex was cut for scrap metal. The remaining parts were preserved after Crimea had joined Russia, and today they're a part of the museum. Here, you can pick up the phone that was used by Sergei Korolev and enter a replica of a reentry capsule. It's a replica of a reentry capsule.
Andrey Dimaev: “After cosmonauts accomplished their mission in orbit, they would use such a capsule to return to Earth. A parachute opened above the capsule at a certain moment.”
A new antenna has replaced the Pluton — the RT-70, as it's called — is considered one of the best in the world. The heart of the telescope — a mirror with a diameter of 70 m (229.6 ft). The signal that this complex sends can reach the edge of the Solar System. It was used to control research space stations for exploring Mars and Halley's Comet. It was here where the first color pictures of Venus were taken. The RT-70 is being restored now. A modernized complex will start its work soon.
Artur Agasiev: "Next year, we plan to begin working with the Spektr-RG satellite. It's a satellite that is flying at the moment. People will see something nobody's ever seen before. It will use a special mirror to take pictures in a special way".
Not far from the Distant Space Radio Center, near Simferopol, is the lunar space-vehicle launch site that was used by cosmonauts for training. It simulated the Moon's surface and its craters. Only pits are what's left of it now. This complex is planned to be renovated as well.
Sergey Gusev, VKS veteran: "A decision has been made to resume research into outer space. This includes the moon program. The first step is the financing and the renovation of the space center in the town of Shkolnoe. It will be owned by Roscosmos. Its task will be to control flights to the Moon".
Slowly but surely, Crimea is getting back its title as the country's space center. The peninsula has perfect conditions for exploring the universe. Sunny days are almost all year round.
Yana Shcherbataya, Klimenty Gromov, Alexander Tsapar for Vesti, Crimea.
