* Astronomy

Magion 1 was a small satellite to research magnetic fields and plasma around the Earth. The satellite was developed at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in 1978 and launched with the Intercosmos international program. The satellite had a elliptical orbit in the upper ionosphere, passing through areas with increased radiation (Van Allen belts).
It was launched 24 October 1978 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket together with the Intercosmos-18 satellite

The cuboid (30 x 30 x 16 cm) shaped satellite had a weight of 15 kg. From the body protruded the communication antenna elements and sensors. The surface was covered with solar cells. 

Among the on-board equipment was a 137 MHz band telemetry transmitter with an output of 250 mW and a 400 MHz band transmitter with an output of 1.5 W. and Geiger-Mueller instruments for measuring radiation physical characteristics; measuring low frequency electromagnetic fields, 16AA frequency analyser and an experiment for measurements of electric and magnetic fields in the frequency of 16 kHz.

Magion 1 ended its research activities on the 10th September 1981, when it entered the atmosphere and burned up.

Read more