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A brief history of the creation of star orientation sensors at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS) and star catalogs for them is presented. An experiment carried out in the early 1970s on synchronous photography of stars and the Earth's surface from the manned stations Salyut-2 and -3 is described. The difficulties of entering photographs into electronic computers (computers) of that time are shown. Based on the SAO, Hipparcos and Gaia star catalogs, about 11000 microcatalogs have been compiled around the brightest stars in the celestial sphere. Each of them contains in the center one star with a magnitude of up to 7.8m and all the surrounding stars up to 13m within a radius of 15′. The microcatalogs are combined into the "Basic Star Catalog," which in the near future will be used to compile onboard star catalogs for the orientation sensors of the BOKZ family of spacecraft. To work with the base catalog, two programs have been developed and are used in test mode: Catalog Guide and Star Manager. The first program is designed to view the base catalog, visualize its fragments and compile lists of stars with specified parameters. The second program is of a computational and analytical nature. It contains mathematical models of star orientation sensors of the BOKZ family, as well as a mathematical apparatus that allows for detailed modeling of the most subtle elements of onboard data processing. Both programs can operate in manual and automatic modes. A sequence of actions worked out manually on several stars can then be performed automatically for large lists of stars. The article describes the structure and content of the base directory, and also illustrates working with it using programs specially developed for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discussion is presented of the effects generated by the imbalance between the insolation energy of polar-day zones and the radiation energy of polar-night zones on multicentennial changes in the Earth's climate. The dependence of this imbalance on the Earth's orbital parameters is determined. The energy imbalance curves are compared with the known temperature curves for the polar regions, which have been estimated from the results of an analysis of ice cores taken in Antarctica and Greenland. The curves clearly reveal a difference between the contributions of cosmic and terrestrial factors to the temperature profiles for the regions in question and demonstrate a synchronicity of these factors. Algorithms are obtained for calculating the magnitude of fluctuations in the size of the Earth's polar caps relative to their averages. The results obtained within the assumptions taken in this work enable predictions to be made about the development of the current global warming and about changes in the size of the Arctic and Antarctic polar caps. It is predicted that over the next three millennia, changes in the Earth's orbital parameters will contribute to the slow melting of the northern polar cap. Then, the trend for a new growth of the northern polar cap will again manifest itself. In the Southern Hemisphere, a trend towards increased glaciation has already formed. Influenced by the cosmic factor, it will intensify over the next 20 000 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleontological studies of the distant past and historical chronicles of the last millennia indicate that warming and cooling of the climate on our planet, replacing each other, have taken place in a continuous series. An important role in this process has been and is played by cosmic factors: variations in solar activity and parameters of the Earth's orbital motion in the gravitational field of the Sun and the planets of the Solar System. It is suggested that the currently observed climate change is associated with a decrease in the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit and the inclination of the axis of its rotation relative to the plane of the ecliptic, which has been going on for almost 30 thousand years. Both processes lead to changes in the boundaries of climatic zones. In the foreseeable future, these processes will proceed in the same direction. Therefore, the current trend towards climate change will continue. Despite the importance of addressing the problem of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions as soon as possible, this paper expresses doubts about the possibility of fending off climate warming in this way. It is proposed to focus on the development of mathematical climate models taking into account space factors and on finding the best ways to adapt industry, transport systems, and the environment to the conditions of expected climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the Luna-25 and Luna-27 missions, the STS-L television system has been developed designed to obtain single or series of high-detail images in the circular field of view. The STS-L includes eight digital cameras on photosensitive CMOS sensors and a computing unit combined with long-term data storage. Since the spacecraft is to operate in the area of the Moon which has not yet been investigated, the acquired images will provide new data on the structure and composition of the surface as well as spectral and morphological properties of the regolith. The mission includes the following modes: video recording of the lunar surface at the stage of the main braking of the spacecraft, full-panorama imaging during the descent and landing of the spacecraft and during the work on the surface, stereoscopic imaging of the soil sampling area to build its 3D model. In order to solve the problem of recording high-contrast images on the lunar surface, the STS-L provides a method of multiexposure imaging with a high dynamic range. The article describes the interaction with the manipulator complex and the method of automated formation of closed panoramas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BOKZ-M60 star sensor (a module that measures the coordinates of stars) has been designed for determining the parameters of the orientation of the intrinsic coordinate system relative to the inertial system from observations of stellar sky sections. The methods and results of processing of measurements by a set of four BOKZ-M60 sensors on the Resurs-P satellite no. 2 have been described. The time interval at which the satellite was in orbital orientation exceeds three orbital revolutions (19003 s). The joint processing of measurements by the four sensors conducted at the same time instants allowed the sensors to be associated with the universal coordinate system. With a root-mean-square error of less than 0.4′′ for each angle of rotation around its axes, this system is consistent with the model of the satellite’s rotational motion. The position of the universal system with respect to the instrumental coordinate system of the satellite was determined from the angular velocity measurements. Here, the root-mean-square errors for the values determined by the angles of rotation of the universal system around its axes were 0.044°, 0.051°, and 0.18°. The low-frequency (with frequencies less than 0.05 Hz) variations in the positions of intrinsic sensor coordinate systems relative to the universal system do not exceed 10′′. These are periodic variations with a fundamental frequency equal to the orbital frequency. The root-mean-square values of high-frequency components of these variations do not exceed 18′′. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BOKZ-M60 star sensor (Unit for Measuring Star Coordinates) is intended for determining the parameters of the orientation of the axes of the intrinsic coordinate system relative to the axes of the inertial system by observations of the regions of the stellar sky. It is convenient to characterize an error of the single determination of the orientation of the intrinsic coordinate system of the sensor by the vector of an infinitesimal turn of this system relative to its found position. Full-scale ground-based tests have shown that, for a resting sensor the root-mean-square values of the components of this vector along the axes of the intrinsic coordinate system lying in the plane of the sensor CCD matrix are less than 2″ and the component along the axis perpendicular to the matrix plane is characterized by the root-mean-square value of 15″. The joint processing of one-stage readings of several sensors installed on the same platform allows us to improve the indicated accuracy characteristics. In this paper, estimates of the accuracy of systems from BOKZ-M60 with two and four sensors performed from measurements carried out during the normal operation of these sensors on the Resurs-P satellite are given. Processing the measurements of the sensor system allowed us to increase the accuracy of determining the each of their orientations and to study random and systematic errors in these measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BOKZ-M star sensor (a unit for measuring star coordinates) is intended to determine the parameters of the orientation of the axes of its own coordinate system relative to the axes of the inertial system using the observations of the areas of the stellar sky. A large number of factors influence the accuracy of this determination, and the estimation of the contribution of every factor to the total error is not always possible. In general, it must be limited by an estimation of the total error according to the results of studying a longterm series of determinations of the orientation parameters obtained in the ground tests and in space flight. This paper presents accuracy estimations for the BOKZ-M device obtained during its flight operation on the Meteor-M satellite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multispectral satellite imaging system (MSIS) aboard the Meteor-M No. 1 spacecraft (SC) has surveyed the territory of Russia and neighboring countries in three-bands of the visible and near-IR ranges with a resolution of 60/120 m in a swath of more than 900 km for three years. The MSIS data, supple-mented by synchronous navigational information, are automatically received, pipeline processed, archived, and cataloged at ground-based receiving stations in Moscow, Novosibirsk, and Khabarovsk. These data are used to solve a wide range of land-use, environmental, and emergency monitoring problems; assess ice situations in seas, rivers, and lakes; etc. The further development of imaging instruments for operational monitoring is aimed at increasing its resolution to 20-30 m in a simultaneously expanded swath of 1600-1800 km, allowing for imaging of most of the territory of Russia with inter-orbit overlapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a device called the System for Scientific Payload Information Support (SSPIS) that controls the traffic (commands, board time code, science and telemetry data) between the onboard computer system (OCS) and the scientific instrumentation (SI) of the spacecraft (SC) of the Phobos-Grunt project. The functional scheme of the device and the functions of the included modules are described. The scope of the testing of the device is considered. The software developed to perform functional testing of the hardware resources of the device is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TV system for navigation and guidance (TVSNG) has been designed for solving the navigation and scientific tasks of the Phobos-Grunt mission. It consists of two narrow-angle and two wide-angle television cameras. Each camera has a built-in processor for the real-time processing of received images. The program of TVSNG observations includes three modes: Imaging of Stars, Sequential Imaging, and Landing. The first two modes will be used to calibrate the TVSNG against the stars, to take images of Phobos and Mars, and to detect the dust rings of Mars. In the Landing mode, the height and velocity components of the spacecraft during the landing on Phobos will be measured, and an autonomous selection of the landing site will be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the Russian space experiment NORT related to the polarization sky survey using wide-angle telescopes and two-dimensional array photodetectors. Study of the distribution and properties of the interplanetary medium; Polarimetric measurements to be carried out; Detection and measurement of brightness, angular velocity and distance.

Unique archive data from investigations of the surface of Venus performed with television cameras on the VENERA missions in 1975 and 1982 were reprocessed with up-to-date techniques, which substantially improved their level of detail. Numerous objects exhibiting a complex regular structure and presumably very slow motions (in the case of hypothetical fauna) have been found. The objects are noticeable in size and may testify to the existence of life. This paper reviews the results of searching for and identifying hypothetical objects of Venusian flora. The detected and identified hypothetical objects considerably exhaust the corresponding potential of the television images. It is concluded that, to investigate the surface of Venus, a new special mission, much more sophisticated than the VENERA missions (1975-1982), should be urgently carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibodies (IgG) to gonadotropin-releasing hormone were measured by ELISA in blood serum of women with miscarriage and men with infertility. Spontaneous production of antibodies to gonadotropin-releasing hormone was observed during miscarriage and male infertility: the mean level of antibodies in these groups was higher than in healthy women and men ( p<0.0001). ROC-analysis showed that test for IgG to gonadotropin-releasing hormone has high sensitivity, specificity, and AUC (more that 70%, 90%, and 0.8, respectively). Thus, the presence of antibodies to gonadotropin-releasing hormone was associated with impairments of human reproductive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]