RUSSIA'S PARTICIPATION in a 14-nation international Interbol scientific-satellite programme was secured when the Russian defence ministry released a Molniya booster to launch the Interbol 1 satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 2 August.
The Interbol 1 carried the 52kg Magion 1 sub-satellite from Czechoslovakia.
Based on a Prognoz M2 spacecraft bus, the Interbol 1 will be used to study the interaction of solar radiation with the Earth's magnetosphere from its 500 x 200,000km, 65¡ inclination orbit.
The Interbol 2 and Magion 2, are scheduled to be launched, at a later date.
Source: Flight International