This five ton satellite uses an Astron-type platform, already used in the Vega missions. It was launched by the Soviet Union in December 1989. Its nominal lifetime was 18 months but it still is partly operational at this date. The orbit is highly eccentric, between 2000 and 200,000 km above Earth at an inclination of 51 degrees. The orbit is 4 days, the payload is only in service for 3 days out of each orbit due to operational constraints such as the passage through the earth's radiation belts.
Granat contains instruments for high-energy astronomy, built in either the Soviet Union, France or Denmark.
Since October, 1994, Granat operates in a spinning mode.
For more info, see the html page at IKI.
Go to general Coded Aperture Imaging page
October 17, 1995