Which Russian satellite has a monument erected in Moscow? Monument to the first satellite

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Before you find out which Russian satellite a monument was erected in Moscow, you should figure out what this aircraft is. An artificial satellite is considered to be a satellite of the Earth, created by human hands (unlike the Moon, which is a natural satellite), moving along an elliptical trajectory around our planet in geostationary orbits. In order for the device to enter this orbit, it is necessary that its speed be more than the first space one, but less than the second space one.

Space velocities for artificial satellites

This means that all artificial satellites must fly into space at a speed of more than 7.9 km / s, in order not to fall back to the surface of the Earth, but less than 11.2 km / s, so as not to retire intoopen space. Note that the first and second cosmic velocities are different for different celestial bodies. For example, the second space velocity for the Moon is only 2.4 km / s, since this object is smaller than our planet, and for a black hole, the speed required to break away from it into outer space must be greater than the speed of light. Perhaps that is why black holes have neither natural nor artificial satellites.

The monument to the first satellite of the Earth was erected a year after the launch of this device in Moscow, near the Rizhskaya metro station. The country that sent the first artificial spacecraft into orbit was the USSR. The launch itself took place in early October 1957 from the Tyura Tam research site of the Ministry of Defense, which would later become the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Preparations for the first flight went on for more than a decade. The famous engineer Sergei Korolev headed the work of rocket designers.

The symbolic position of the satellite on the monument

The monument to the first satellite was created by architect V. Kartsev and sculptor S. Kovner. It is a seven-meter bronze figure of a man in a worker's suit, who holds a ball with antennas extending from it on his outstretched arm. Of course, this position of the satellite is purely symbolic, since even the simplest apparatus, which was the first satellite, can be very heavy in weight. For example, PS-1, depicted in this sculptural group, weighed about 84 kilograms, consisted of two rather small hemispheres (0.58 meters in diameter). The hemispheres were cast from aluminum alloy and fastened together with three dozen bolts. The tightness was provided by a simple rubber gasket.

More than 1400 orbits around the planet

On the top of the satellite were two antennas, each of which had two branches of 2.4 and 2.9 meters, and inside the scientists were able to place silver-zinc storage systems (weighed 50 kg), temperature sensors, sensors pressure, cable network, radio transmitter, thermal relay, air duct for control systems and fan. The satellite circled our planet in just over 96 minutes, made more than 1400 orbits and left orbit in January 1958. Here is a monument to a Russian satellite in Moscow.

The monument has a duplicate in another city

Although it is rather a monument of the Soviet era, as well as a duplicate of this monument on Energetikov Square in Rostov-on-Don. In the history of new Russia, this achievement is immortalized by a monument in the city of Korolev, which was opened in 2007, on October 4, on the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite.

Element of the sculptural composition went into space

Which Russian satellite was recently erected a monument in Moscow? In 2012, a monument was erected in front of the complex of the Biomedical Agency (Federal) based on the capsule of a satellite that went directly into space with unusual passengers on board. The latest generation of space crews were mostly monkeys,which were sometimes "companied" by other animal species.

The apparatus with the animals weighed 6.3 tons

Artificial satellites for biological purposes (to launch living creatures) began to be developed by OKB-1 (Kuibyshev branch) almost immediately after A. Gagarin's flight into space in the early 70s of the last century. Their peculiarity is that after being put into orbit, they move in a free mode without the influence of attitude control systems, which makes it possible to obtain very clean results of experiments under weightless conditions. The first devices of this series weighed about 6.3 tons, with the weight of the equipment itself only 0.7 tons, and were launched into low orbit using Soyuz-U rocket carriers. Most often, the "sending" was carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. The estimated maximum flight duration was about a month - these were the terms of the life support systems of animals, after which the device descended on a parachute system to a training ground in Kazakhstan (near Kustanai).

They helped explore space

The monument to the satellite of such a plan was not installed by chance. In total, from 1973 to 1996, eleven satellites were launched, which were in orbit from five to almost 19 days, and the results of the research made it possible to obtain extensive data on the behavior of living organisms in outer space. In 1973, 45 rats became pioneers on this type of apparatus; from the third launch, the program acquired an international character. And in the course of work on the fourth satellite, a very important fact was established - the well-being of rats that werein space in a mini-centrifuge (artificial gravity) turned out to be much better than the rest of the weightless rats. In the latter, there was a change in the muscles, an increase in the fragility of the legs. Therefore, at the modern International Space Station, people spend several hours a day on simulators in order to reduce the harmful effects of weightlessness on the body. And all this was established thanks to rodents.

How did you choose to become "cosmonauts"?

"Bion" is a satellite of the same series of devices, which was redesigned for a special program, starting from the sixth launch. Here, rhesus monkeys became astronauts, for which the design of the ship had to be finalized, since the animals were significantly larger and smarter than the previous species. Potential applicants were selected in the Sukhumi nursery. Only young males were taken as astronauts, the selection took place every three years, after which it took two years to train. Monkeys were taught to press different buttons, pedals and levers, depending on the signals on the light board. As a reward, they were offered a rosehip concentrate, which they drank through a special fitting. Each monkey was placed in a separate inner capsule with the possibility of their visual contact through special windows.

Of the selected twenty individuals who underwent training, only half got to the cosmodrome, ten macaques, of which two were selected directly on the site and assigned a name to them in alphabetical order. So, Abrek and Bion were the first primates in space.(1983). This launch was the shortest, only five hours, as one of the monkeys released its paw and tore off the electrodes from the head, some of which were implanted in the brain. The satellite landed successfully and after rehabilitation, the first astronaut monkeys went to live in a nursery.

Then Proud and Faithful (1985), then Erosha and Sandman (1987) went into orbit. This launch was also not very successful, as Erosha was freed from control systems, in addition, the nutrient supply system for primates broke down. The satellite had to be clamped ahead of schedule, and the landing was extremely difficult, since the object sat down in the winter forests of Yakutia. Almost all astronauts, including rats, worms, newts, flies, survived, only guppies were unlucky. Fidel Castro took Sandman for permanent residence, guaranteeing him good living and honor in Cuba.

All returned safe and sound, but…

What capsule is on the modern Bion monument? Moscow received part of the satellite, which participated in the fourth launch. Inside a real sphere, surrounded on the monument by the likeness of wings, in 1989 the macaques Zhakonya and Zabiyak flew into space. Subsequent expeditions, in 1992 and 1996, took place with the participation of Krosha and Ivasha, as well as Multik and Lapik, respectively. All of them returned safely, only Multik was destined to die already on Earth due to intolerance to anesthesia, which he was given after the flight during the operation. It is known that Krosha lived for many years after returning from space, and Lapik lives in a nursery inAdler. All of them, along with 37 more species of animals, made it possible to substantiate the possibility of a long-term stay of a person in space. Here is a monument to which Russian satellite was erected in Moscow, on Volokolamsk Highway, house 30, building 1.