Radio Systems of Soviet/Russian manned spacecraft

• Vostok
• Voskhod
• Soyuz 7K-OK (Early Soyuz version)
• Soyuz 7K-T (Early space station ferry)
• Soyuz 7K-TM (ASTP)
• Soyuz 7K-S (Soyuz S)
• Soyuz 7K-ST (Soyuz T)
• Soyuz 7K-STM (Soyuz TM)
• Salyut 1
• Salyut 2
• Kosmos 557
• Salyut 3
• Salyut 4
• Salyut 5
• Salyut 6
• Salyut 7
• Mir
• Zarya - ISS Control Module (formerly known as FGB)
• Zvezda - ISS Service Module

Vostok

The list below is a compilation of frequency information from various sources.

Shortwave AM voice:
9.019 MHz downlink, uplink on 10.012 MHz (Vostok 1). Power: 6-10 watts
20.006 MHz downlink, uplink on 22.205 MHz 
15.765 MHz (AM voice?, Vostok 2) 

VHF FM voice 
143.625 MHz downlink for "Zarya" FM voice system.
139.208 MHz uplink for "Zarya". 

"Signal" telemetry beacon 
19.948 MHz "Signal" simple biomedical telemetry beacon (Vostok 5)
19.990 MHz "Signal" simple biomedical telemetry beacon (Vostok 4)
19.995 MHz "Signal" simple biomedical telemetry beacon (Vostok 2, 3, 6)

"High-speed" telemetry
66,71,76 MHz "Tral-P1-1" and "Tral-P1-2" telemetry systems

Television system
83 MHz "Seliger-Tral-D" TV system. Developed by OKB MEI, A F Bogomolov

Radar transponder
2790-2820 MHz "Binokl" radar transponder.

Unkown purpose and characteristics
183 MHz, maybe lasts tage of the launcher? 

Recovery beacon
10.003 MHz Recovery beacon transmitter P-37. Antenna deployes after opening of parachutre. "Peleng" in table below.

Command link
47.9 to 49.0 MHz MRV-VS

Where are the antennas for these frequencies located?

The sketch below is of Soviet origin and has been in my files for more than ten years. I do not know where it comes from, but the translated caption is reproduced to the right of the picture.
 

Transmission of operational telemetry from onboard the spacecraft ("Signal") Reception of terrestrial broadcasting stations Transmission of telemetry and television images from onboard the spacecraft Measurement of the orbit of the spacecraft Two-way telephony and telegraphy shortwave communications Command reception Two-way VHF telephony Transmission of operational telemetry and telegraphy information during the landing phase ("Signal")

Here is a brief interpretation of this figure and table:

1. This is the keyed-CW signal on 19.995 MHz.
2. Remember, there was a car-radio dial in the Vostok cabin.
3. These are the four "fat" antennas at the back of the service module. Each of these antennas are about a meter long, which, if a quarter-wavelenth, indicates 4 meters or about 75 MHz frequency. The antennas are "fat" giving them broadband characteristics. In this way they could cover the 83 MHz TV frequency and possibly other frequencies. It is possible that the TV transmitter also carried telemetry, but I think that there were separate telemetry transmitters, probably in the 61-76 MHz band.
4. This is the "Binokl" radar transponder system working on 2700-2800 MHz. I think that the "Binokl" antennas are the little white discs and that the "Irtysh" inteferometer antennas are the little loop straddling the white disc. The "Irtysh" system is supposed to work in the decimeter-wave band. Let me guess that the frequency is around 1 GHz.
5. This is the 20.006 MHz AM voice (and 9.019, 15.765 MHz) link.
6. This are the "trombone" antennas on top of the re-entry vehicle. The frequency is low, probably below 100 MHz. Command reception at 47.9-49.0 MHz probably.
7. This is the little VHF dipole on top of the re.entry vehicle. It is for 143.625 MHz.
8. This is the 19.995 MHz simple keyed-CW telemetry. These antennas are monuted directly on the re-enrty vehicle and not on the straps hold the re-entry vehicle to the service module. In this way, the would work all the way until the re-entry heat burned them away. But, was the cosmonaut competetly out of voice contat once the service module had been released?

Specific radio systems in early Soviet satellites:

Voskhod

Early Soyuz (7K-OK)

15.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
18.035 MHz AM voice?
18.060 MHz AM voice?
20.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
121.75 MHz was the main FM voice downlink
922.75 MHz

Soyuz Ferry (7K-T)

Soyuz for ASTP (7K-TM)

Soyuz S (7K-S)

Soyuz T (7K-ST)

Soyuz TM (7K-STM)

Receive
130.167 MHz is the main FM voice uplink
768.96 MHz is the command uplink

Salyut 1

15.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
922.754 MHz

Salyut 2

Kosmos 557

15.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
20.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
922.75 MHz

Salyut 3

19.944 MHz FSK-PDM telemetry
143.625 MHz was the main FM voice downlink
180 MHz PPM-AM telemetry

Salyut 4

15.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
20.008 MHz CW-PDM telemetry
121.75 MHz was the main FM voice downlink
192 MHz PPM-AM telemetry
922.75 MHz
925.24 MHz
926.06 MHz

Salyut 5

Salyut 6

Salyut 7

Mir

Mir telemetry antenna for 630-640 MHz band

Uplinks
768.96 MHz is the command uplink
121.75 MHz can be used as a receive frequency also including receiving TORU signals from Progress
139.208 MHz used as a receive frequency during Shuttle dockings
2725 MHz is the radar transponder Rx frequency

Zarya - ISS Control Module (formerly known as FGB)

Receive
121.125 MHz Voice from Orlan space suit.
121.75 MHz receive TORU signals from Progress and from Orlan space suit.
7190-7210 MHz Command link of the Komparus system (According Metrolog.ru web site)

See picture of two "comb" antennas on Zarya scale model.

Zvezda - ISS Service Module

Transmit
 

Frequency  (MHZ)	Use
121.75	A back-up FM voice link (3.5 W). TORU transmit to Zarya.
130.167	An FM voice link used during EVA(3.5 W) and in the VHF 2 mode. Also used to transmit TORU commands to Progress and to Orlan space suit..
143.625	The main FM voice downlink (3.5 W) (VHF 1)
463	Used for downlinking TV. It is a frequency-modulated link.(15 Watts). Deviation is 10 MHz.
628.0	Used for PCM/FM telemetry very similar to the 166 MHz channel (BITS TM system, (BR-9TsU-8))
630.0	Used for PCM/FM telemetry very similar to the 166 MHz channel (BITS TM system, (BR-9TsU-8))
922-928	Contains telemetry and other signals on subcarriers. Russian name: REGUL. The primary use of the  system is for orbit determination and command verification.  It has the capability to provide TM and downlink voice but it is not used for that normally.
2860	The radar transponder return channel (210 W)

 

This extract from a NASA picture of the Zvezda rear end probably shiows the crossed dipole array of the REGUL radio system designed to work through a relay satellite.

Receive
 

Frequency (MHZ)	Use
121.125	Voice from Orlan space suit.
121.75	Alternate receive frequency (VHF 2). Also used to receive TORU signals from Progress and voice from Orlan space suit.
139.208	Used as a receive frequency from the ground (VHF 1).
130.167	Used to receive TORU signals from Zarya
231	Receive telemetry from Orlan space suit
247	Receive telemetry from Orlan space suit
420	TV receive
463	TV receive from Soyuz, Progress and ground.
768-774	The command uplink
2725	The radar transponder Rx frequency
3294	Kurs receive
3300	Kurs receive

[Sven's Space Place]

[Space Radio Notes]

Copyright © 1996 Sven Grahn