MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is preparing to launch a scientific satellite that will, for the first time ever, give astrophysicists unique insight into the nature of extreme astrophysical phenomena such as cosmic gamma-ray bursts, according to the director of an institute participating in the study.
The Lomonosov satellite is to be put into orbit in 2015 as part of the inaugural launch at Russia’s brand-new Vostok space center.
“Lomonosov carries an entire space lab for experimenting with extreme phenomena, in both near and outer space,” said Mikhail Panasyuk, director of Moscow State University’s Institute of Nuclear Physics, one of the organizations taking part in the project.
Speaking at an MSU roundtable meeting Wednesday, Pansyuk said the advanced satellite would help scientists study ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. “This is the first time an experiment of this nature will be conducted,” he stressed.
“We hope the Lomonosov satellite will help us develop the space-based part of a system to monitor potential asteroid threats,” the scientist added.
Cosmic gamma-ray bursts and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays are traditionally associated with the processes that occurred in the initial stages of the universe’s development, which means they could also shed some light on the evolution of the universe.
