Kvant-1
An artist's conception of the Kvant-1 module. (Credit: Soviet Space Program)
Lifetime: April 1987 - March 2001 (decay of Mir Space Station's orbit)
Country (primary): Soviet Union
Primary Science
Kvant 1 was a module for the Mir Space Station that included instruments for scientific study and that carried equipment to enhance space station support systems. The scientific payload included an suite of X-ray astronomy detectors and an ultraviolet telescope.
High Energy Science
The International Roentgen X-ray Observatory payload on Kvant-1 consisted of four instruments covering the energy range of 2 to 800 keV.
Science Highlights
- Demonstrated the efficiency of coded aperture telescopes for hard X-rays
- Studied Supernova 1987A in X-ray