Processes of Relaxation in the Ultraviolet Band Spectrum
by High Velocity Interaction of Exhaust Products on ISS
(Relaksatsiya), five investigations
Principal Investigator(s): Plastinin Yu. A., Ph. D. in Technical Science, TsNIImash, member of
Russian Academy of Cosmonautics by K.E. Tsiolkovsky (RACTs), member of The American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
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Relaksatsiya -Vykhlop (Relaxation - Exhaust)
Relaksatsiya -UF-Vkhod (Relaxation - UV-Entry)
Relaksatsiya -Stend (Relaxation - Stand)
Relaksatsiya -Groza (Relaxation – Thunderstorm)
Relaksatsiya -Spektr (Relaxation – Spectrum)
Expeditions 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19/20, 21/22, 23/24, 25/26, 27/28,
29/30, 31/32, 33/34, ongoing
Research Area Earth and Space Science
More than 90 experiment sessions within the 5 abovementioned investigation areas have been
conducted since 2002.
Scientific instruments
The Relaksatsiya series of space-based experiment employs a high-sensitivity multispectral
system "Fialka-MV-Kosmos" consisting of the following main components:
• UV-camera УФК
• spectrometers СП №1 и СПМ № 2
• video camera ЛК-2 (SONY DCR-TRV900E)
The Fialka-MV-Kosmos Multispectral system aboard the ISS RS
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Relaksatsiya -Vykhlop (Relaxation - Exhaust)
Study on interaction between spacecraft`s rocket engines exhaust and the ionosphere and the
own ISS external atmosphere
Relaksatsiya -UF-Vkhod (Relaxation - UV-Entry)
Study on spatio-temporal structure of gas-flame formations during spacecraft entry into the
Earth atmosphere and their fragmentation
Relaksatsiya -Stend (Relaxation - Stand)
Study on modification of the Earth atmosphere and ionosphere under impact of powerful
radiofrequency emission from the Earth
Relaksatsiya -Groza (Relaxation – Thunderstorm)
Study on global electromagnetic processes in the Earth's upper atmosphere (thunderstorms,
sprites, etc.) in the UV portion of the spectrum
Relaksatsiya -Spektr (Relaxation – Spectrum)
Hyperspectral monitoring of the Earth's atmosphere and the "atmosphere-surface of the Earth"
system in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared portions of the spectrum
Earth Benefits:
The results of system and exploratory studies on natural and anthropogenous global
phenomena in the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere can be used for development of future
Earth remote sensing spacecraft, as well as for development of new approaches to forecasting
of earthquakes and other catastrophic phenomena, development of advanced methods for (a)
Earth hyperspectral monitoring, (b) collection data about weather and gas composition of the
atmosphere and ionosphere, (c) collection data concerning impacts of space activities on the
Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere (interaction of space vehicles with the atmosphere and
ionosphere).
Results
Relaksatsya-Vykhlop
Global areas of interaction between rocket engine exhausts (installed on Progress and SoyuzTMA spacecraft) and the upper rarefied atmosphere of the Earth (H ~ 350 to 400 km) were
disclosed and studied; through analysis of brightness fields fundamental constants of
hypervelocity oxygen atoms interaction with components of engine exhausts were revealed.
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It was found that during on-board engine units operations one can observe bright UV glow of
the own ISS atmosphere in OH molecular bands related to decay and photolysis of the water
vapor contained in engine exhaust gas.
Processed video frame of exhaust jets from
docking and orientation engine, 2010
Relaksatsya-UF-Vkhod
Unique in-situ UV experimental data about spatial structure and intensity of the emission
spectrum from spacecraft`s plasma formations and transport vehicle fragments during
hypersonic entering the atmosphere throughout the entire descent trajectory in terms of
entering and fragmentation of Soyuz-TMA and a European cargo vehicle ATV Jules Verne are
obtained.
ATV Jules Verne
Altitude about 70 km
Images of plazma units at the moment of reentry into the Earth's upper atmosphere and
fragmentation of ATV-1 in different spectral
ranges: а) in UV-range, б) in visible range
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Radiation pattern of a plazma unit at
the moment of explosion and
fragmentation of ATV-1 at the
altitude of about 70 km.
Relaksatsya-Stend
A global glow of the Earth upper atmosphere at altitudes
of about 100 to 140 km in the southern and northern
hemispheres was discovered under impact of powerful
radiofrequency emission from the Earth to the Earth's
ionosphere and atmosphere; a probable mechanism of
modification of the atmosphere is actuation of Alfven
oscillations in the ionosphere.
Earth limb
Н = 90 km
Earth surface
Airglow area
Airglow relaxation area
Relaksatsya-Groza
For the first time in the UV spectrum it was investigated spatio-temporal and power budget of
global thunderstorm phenomena in the upper atmosphere of the Earth (elves, sprites, jets, etc.)
and new then unknown data about their origin and development were received over the
equatorial Africa.
Circle light (elve) and transverse distribution of its brightness
Relaksatsya-Spektr
According to systematic UV-spectrum measurements of brightness in the upper atmosphere it
was revealed the phenomenon of bifurcation of the high-altitude limb at altitudes of about 100
km and, respectively, concentration of atomic oxygen layer over the seismically active area
where tectonic plates converge in the region of the Arabian underwater mountain crest in the
Indian Ocean.
It was developed a methodology and obtained a lot of data through hyper-spectral monitoring
of the "atmosphere-Earth" system from the ISS in the UV, visible and near-infrared portions of
the spectrum along the ISS ground trace with different geo- and heliophysical viewing
conditions (spectral resolution: 1.5 nm; swath: not less than 200 km; spatial resolution: from
1.5 km to 15 km).
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Image of underlying surface– the territory
of Spain
Thus, the Relaxation series of space experiments conducted onboard the ISS over a period of
2002-2010 demonstrated high effectiveness of UV spectral portion application to monitoring of
global physical phenomena of natural and man-made origin, geophysical conditions in the
Earth's atmosphere and near-Earth space.
Publication(s)
Anfimov N.A., Zemlyanskiy B.A., Karabadjak G F., Plastinin Yu. A. Study of Earth`s atmosphere
and ionosphere from the ISS// Polyot, 2007, № 12, pp.3-10.
Zemlyanskiy B. A. , Karabadjak G F., Plastinin Yu. A. The Relaxation Space Experiments:
Scientific Objectives, Instruments and Results of the Studies at the International Space Station
Russian Segment, Kosmonavtika i Raketostroenie (Cosmonautics and Rocket-Building), 2007.,
No. 4 (49), pp. 33-40.
Karabadzhak G.F. Revelation of the effective cross-section of the O + H2O = OH (A) + OH (X)
reaction during hypervelocity collisions of components by measuring the intensity of hydroxyl
glow in the course of space experiments, Kosmonavtika i Raketostroenie (Cosmonautics and
Rocket-Building), 2004, No. 3 (36), pp. 123-130
Karabadjak G. F., Yu. A. Plastinin, A. V. Rodionov, E. Yu. Szhenov, G. F. Sipachev, B. A. Khmelinin
Spectrosegmental Studies in Superlow Natural and Man-Made Emissions in the Earth Upper
Atmosphere and Ionosphere// Kosmonavtika i Raketostroenie (Cosmonautics and RocketBuilding), 2007, No. 4 (49), pp. 26-32.
Plastinin Yu. A., Karabadjak G. F., Khmelinin B. A., Zemlyanskiy B. A., Zalogin G.N., Gorshkov A.N.
Space study of plasma formations from the ISS – Abstracts for International Conference
«Modern Problems of Gasdynamics», dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of Academician
Rakhmatulin Kh.А., April 21-23, 2009, Moscow.
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Plastinin Yu. A., Karabadjak G. F., Khmelinin B. A., Zemlyanskiy B. A., Zalogin G.N., Gorshkov A.N.
ISS-based space study of plasma formations caused by spacecraft entering the Earth`s
atmosphere and fragmentation. – Abstracts for the Sixth International Aerospace Congress
IAC’09, Moscow, August 23-27, 2009.
Karabadjak G. F., Krasotkin V.S., Manzhaley A.I., Plastinin Yu. A., Khmelinin B. A., ISS-based
observation of a European ATV cargo vehicle entering the Earth`s atmosphere with the «Fialka–
MV-Kosmos» multispectral system // Kosmonavtika i Raketostroenie (Cosmonautics and
Rocket-Building), 2010, No. 2 (59).
Karabadjak G. F., Komrakov G.P., Kuznetsov V.D., Plastinin Yu. A., Ruzhin Yu.Ya., Frolov V.L.,
Khmelinin B. A. ISS-based study of global spatiotemporal glowing of the Earth`s upper
atmosphere and ionosphere under radiofrequency emission impact on them // Kosmonavtika i
Raketostroenie (Cosmonautics and Rocket-Building) , 2009, No. 4 (57), pp. 88-94.
Karabadzhak G.F., Plastinin Yu.A., Szhenov E.Yu., Khmelinin B.A. Specification of oxygen atom
concentration profiles in Earth`s upper atmosphere basing on experimental data received from
manned space stations // Kosmonavtika i Raketostroenie (Cosmonautics and Rocket-Building),
2007, No. 1 (46), pp. 38-43
Plastinin Yu.A., Rizvanov A.A., Sipachyov G.F., Khmelinin B.A. Space-based UV survey of
thunderous formations in the Earth`s upper atmosphere // Kosmonavtika i Raketostroenie
(Cosmonautics and Rocket-Building), 2011, No.2(63), pp. 126-132.
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