Interkosmos 19 (AUOS-Z-I-IK)

Interkosmos 19 [Yuzhnoye]

During the International Magnetosphere Study period an Intercosmos spacecraft, Ionosonde-IK, was launched into a high inclination, elliptical orbit with a low apogee. The main scientific objectives of Ionosonde-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 A bands and 3914 A and 5577 A 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)