Russian military's colossal radio telescope annihilated by Ukraine forces
In the sunny and picturesque region of Crimea, once a popular holiday destination in the former USSR, a significant loss has occurred in the realm of science and astronomy. The RT-70 radio telescope, a vital piece of infrastructure, has been destroyed in a drone attack.
The RT-70 radio telescope, one of three built across the former USSR in the mid-1970s, served as an antenna for the GLONASS satellite navigation system, increasing its accuracy by around 30%. It also played a crucial role in military communications, as reported by Defense Express, and was used by Soviet satellite controllers to communicate with several missions of the Venus exploration program Venera in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In the 2000s, the telescope was also used in several initiatives to contact alien life, sending over 20 message packages to potentially habitable planets outside the solar system. It supported the European Space Agency's Mars Express and Rosetta missions, which were destined for Mars and Comet 67/P respectively. The telescope carried out astronomical research, detecting signals from planets, asteroids, and distant galactic centres.
The destroyed dish was not the only loss. The Shain mirror telescope, the largest optical sky-watching machine in Ukraine with a 7.8-foot mirror, is now under the control of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Along with the Shain mirror telescope, the optical telescopes, radio telescope, and laser rangefinders at the Simez Observatory in Crimea's southernmost tip also fell into Russian hands after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The overall damage to Ukrainian science infrastructure from the Russian war is estimated at $1.26 billion, according to a 2024 UNESCO report. The Giant Ukrainian Radio Telescope in Kharkiv sustained significant damage in 2022 when the region was under Russian occupation. Russian troops stole instruments and computers from the observatory and laid landmines across the site covered with more than 2,000 dipole radio antennas.
Footage of a drone slamming into the RT-70 radio telescope emerged in late August, marking a significant blow to Ukraine's scientific community and the global astronomy sector. The earliest of the messages sent by the RT-70 is expected to reach its destination, an Earth-like planet orbiting the star Gliese 581, in 2029.
Crimea's cloudless weather and peaky landscape made it a hub for astronomy, hosting multiple astronomical facilities. The loss of these facilities not only impacts Ukraine but also the global scientific community, as they have contributed significantly to our understanding of the universe.
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