Plasma-A

Plasma-A

The Plasma-A satellites were technological test spacecraft to test out new systems for the US-AM RORSATs. It was based on the US-A RORSAT bus, but was fitted with the new Topaz nuclear rector, which used thermo-emission conversion method to convert heat to electricity. Topaz provided over 10 kW of power and had long endurance and storage in a radiation-safe orbit.

Plazma-A did not have the radar of the US-A spacecraft, but tested a number of other systems:

• electrostatic manoeuvring engines (6 × SPT-70 Stationary Plasma Thrusters)
• ion orientation and stabilisation engines
• solar sensors
• magnetic momentum compensators
• multi-channel wave devices

The Plasma-A satellites carried instruments to map the magnetic field of the earth for the development of a magnetic navigation system.

Two Plasma-A space craft were successfully launched on Tsiklon-2 rockets. Due to the higher orbit than the US-A spacecraft, the reactors were not separated and boosted into a storage orbit.