Interkosmos 19 [Yuzhnoye]
Official name INTERCOSMOS 19
Alternative name Intercosmos 19
Cospar ID 1979-020A
Norad ID 11285
Launch date 1979-02-27
Launch site PKMTR
Launch vehicle Kosmos-3M
Country/Organization International
Type application Science
Operator Interkosmos
RCS size LARGE
Decay date 2002-09-23
Shape Oct Ell
Mass (kg) 545.09
Height (m) 1.8
Width (m) 1.5
Depth (m) 1.8
Span (m^2) 1.8
Lifetime 6 months
Contractors Yuzhnoye
Configuration AUOS-Z
Power 8 deployable fixed solar arrays, solar cells, batteries

During the International Magnetosphere Study period the Interkosmos 19 spacecraft, Ionozond-IK, was launched into a high inclination, elliptical orbit with a low apogee. The main scientific objectives of Ionozond-IK were:

  • the study of the electron-density distribution from the main ionization maximum of the F-region up to the satellite altitude with a topside sounder, and the correlation of the time and space variations with solar activity, corpuscular fluxes and other geophysical phenomena,
  • global mapping of basic ionospheric parameters and construction of a topside ionosphere model,
  • the study of wave processes in magnetospheric plasma in the frequency range 100 Hz to 5 MHz,
  • the study of time and space variations of emissions in the 6300-6364 Å bands and 3914 Å and 5577 Å lines,
  • the study of time and space variations of charged particles with energies between 10 eV and 50 MeV and their ionospheric effect, and
  • the study of time and space variations of local electron and ion densities and temperatures.

The program included simultaneous ground-based observations at ionospheric and solar stations of the USSR and Socialist countries. Experiments on board were:

  • Topside Sounder
  • Plasma Experiment
  • Wave Experiment
  • Particle Experiment
  • Electrophotometer (EMO-1)
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
INTERCOSMOS 19 1979-020A 1979-02-27 PKMTR Kosmos-3M