Development Spektr

cut-away view of spektr

the spektr module developed part of top-secret military program code-named oktant . planned carry experiments space-borne surveillance , test antimissile defense. surveillance instruments mounted on exterior of module opposite docking port. in location 2 launchers artificial targets. heart of spektr payload experimental optical telescope code-named pion” (peony).

instrument list:

286k binocular radiometer
astra 2 – monitored atmospheric trace constituents, mir environment
balkan 1 lidar – measures upper cloud altitude. used 5320-angstrom laser source, provided 4.5 m resolution
efo 2 photometer
komza – interstellar gas detector
miras absorption spectrometer – measured neutral atmospheric composition
phaza spectrometer – surface studies. examined wavelengths between 0.340 , 285 micrometers, , provides 200 km resolution
taurus/grif – monitored mir s induced x/gamma-ray background
vriz uv spectroradiometer

these experiments have been continuation of research top-secret tks-m module, docked salyut 7 in 1985. however, end of cold war , shrinking of russia’s space budget, module stuck on ground.

in mid-1990s return of us-russian cooperation in space, nasa agreed provide funds complete spektr , priroda modules in exchange having 600 700 kg of experiments installed. oktava military component replaced conical mounting area 2 additional solar arrays. airlock oktava targets used instead expose experiments vacuum of space.

once in orbit, spektr served living quarters american astronauts until collision in late june 1997.