MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia plans to launch a Spektr-R (Radioastron) research spacecraft in May 2011, Yury Kovalyov of the Astrospace Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Physics Institute said at a conference dealing with high-energy astrophysics at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute.
"The planned launch date is May 2011. We are waiting for the results of the flight of an Elektro-L spacecraft, because it is to be launched on board the same rocket and is based on the same platform as Radioastron," Kovalyov said.
Before launching the Spektr-R, the researchers have to be sure that the new Navigator platform on board the Elektro-L satellite operates well, he said.
"If the Elektro-L is launched in January next year, as planned, then the date for launching the Radioastron will not change. If the Elektro-L [launch] is delayed, we will delay as well. If the Elektro-L experiences some problems with the platform, we will delay [the launch] as long as it is needed to solve the problems," Kovalyov said.
The Spektr-R astrophysics laboratory will study nuclei of galaxies, pulsars, and the interstellar matter, he said.