There are three radio telescopes designated RT-70, all in countries that were once part of the former Soviet Union, all with similar specifications: 70m dishes and an operating range of 5–300 GHz. They are a part of the former Soviet Deep Space Network, now operated by Russia. The Yevpatoria facility has also been used as a radar telescope in observations of space debris and asteroids.
With their 70m antenna diameter, they are among the largest radio telescopes in the world.
They are:
- the Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope at the former soviet Center for Deep Space Communications or West Center for Deep Space Communications, Yevpatoria, Crimea, Ukraine.
- the Galenki RT-70 radio telescope at the East Center for Deep Space Communications, Galenki (Ussuriysk), Russia.
- the Suffa RT-70 radio telescope at the Suffa Radio Observatory on the Suffa plateau, Uzbekistan. Never completed.
In 2008, RT-70 was used to beam 501 messages at the exoplanet Gliese 581c, in hopes of making contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The messages should arrive in 2029.1
References
References
- Moore, Matthew (9 October 2008). "Messages from Earth sent to distant planet by Bebo". .telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
External links
External links
- Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope (in Russian)
- Suffa RT-70 radio telescope (in Russian)
- Suffa Radio Observatory in Uzbekistan: progress and radio-seeing research plans
- Russian Space Agency Backs US Asteroid Control Plan (mentions Galenki telescope)
- Don P. Mitchell. Soviet Telemetry Systems. Deep-Space Communication Centers