[FPSPACE] TV from Sputnik-2, again

[Geert Sassen]

I seem to remember reading the term 'Tral-T' with regards to the 
telemetry system of Sputnik 2, or more specific with regards to changes 
to the telemetry system of the R7 central stage (which was used to 
transmit all PS2 information to earth). It might be that 'Tral-T' was 
just the designation of the complete telemetry system, not specifically 
a camera. Unfortunately I am in the middle of moving house with a large 
part of my archive out of reach at this moment but probably the source 
is somewhere in Asif's masterpiece.

Also it has been mentioned that black and white dogs where preferred 
during the selection, as this improved the contrast of pictures and 
movies. Laika is also described as a black and white mongrel. However, 
this does not necessarily mean that PS2 carried (or was intended to 
carry) a tv camera. Probably the early suborbital flights carried movie 
camera's so the remark about the colors might be in view of these flights.

 From what I understand, the "dog-container" on PS2 was mostly identical 
to the containers used on the early suborbital flights, with only minor 
modifications (and probably somewhat larger oxygen tanks), with a sphere 
derived from PS1 on top, all of it using the transmission system of the 
R7 central stage for telemetry transmissions. If the suborbital flights 
carried movie camera's (which would be useless on PS2) then there might 
have been a camera-fitting in PS2 but given the timeframe in which the 
whole thing was developed it seems unlikely to me that a tv camera was 
developed in time for the launch.

Sputnik 2 still holds a few more mysteries:
+ It has been mentioned that (part of?) the launch shroud did not 
separate after launch and this was held as one of the reasons for the 
failure of the temperature control system, however I have not found any 
clear description of the temperature control system used and it sounds 
like there was only a 'passive' system with air circulating through the 
container and then venting outside (more or less similar to the early 
EVA suits). This was probably sufficient for the suborbital flights 
however not for a prolonged flight.
+ It has been mentioned that there was a system to supply the dog with 
food and water, however once again all descriptions of these systems 
seem to be from the Korabl Sputnik and Cosmos 110 flights which used 
different containers for the dogs. The suborbital flights probably did 
not carry food and water, so was the PS2 container sufficiently modified 
in the very short timeframe, or is this just a 'nice story' to silence 
guilty consciences?
+ There are some descriptions which mention that the dog was 'exited' 
during launch and it is mentioned that 'barking' was heard in the 
control room. This raises the question as to if PS2 carried a 
microphone, or is there once again confusion with the Korabl and Cosmos 
110 flights?

Regards,

Geert Sassen.

Sven Grahn wrote:
> Dear Friends,
>
> In early January I was contacted by an art student who asked the straight question. Was there a TV system on Sputnik-2 and where can we find the pictures? I went back to what I have written myself about this and other sources. I found myself throroughly confused, and in the absence of an operational FPSPACE, I contacted Igor Lissov. I reproduce our exchange below. Perhaps members of FPSPACE want to comment? I know we have had this subject up for discussion before, but maybe new information is now available?
>
> This is what I wrote to Igor:
>
> "... In many sources, even Asif's big volume, you find the information that Sputnik-2 had av 200-line TV-system. However, in scientific papers (like: Malashenkov,Dimitri C,  "Some Unknown Pages of the Living Organism's First Orbital Flight", Paper IAC-02-IAA.2.2.05, 53rd International Astronautical Concress, 10-19 October 2002,  Houston, Texas. ) this information is missing. Frankly, I think many mix up Sputnik-2 with Korabl-Sputnik-2 where there was a TV-system that sent pictures of Strelka and Belka ..."
>
> To which Igor replied:
>
> "... It's an interesting question indeed. There are Russian sources that claim a low-res 100 or 200-line 10 sec-1 TV system built by OKB MEI (Moscow) in cooperation with VNII televideniya (Leningrad) was indeed put onboard PS-2. Some call it Seliger -- Tral-T
> (e.g. http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/numbers/240/38.shtml ).
>
> Authors associated with VNII televideniya insist that they started development of Enisey and Seliger onboard TV systems only in 1958 for Luna probes and Vostok spaceship respectively. You may see, as examples, the two 1996 articles by V.Efimov
>
> ( http://www.telesputnik.ru/archive/5/article/50.html ,
> http://www.telesputnik.ru/archive/7/article/54.html )
>
> as well as a memoir by Maria Mamyrina 
>
> (http://magazines.russ.ru/neva/2007/9/mm22.html ).
>
> The latter essentially says that a 100-line Seliger system was in use for both Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Belka & Strelka) and Vostok 1, and a modified 400-line version was employed from Vostok 2 on.
>
> The former starts directly with modernization in mid-1961 without explaining when and how the initial version was used. Also, Yuri Mozzhorin refers to the initial system as Seliger -- Tral-D
>
> ( http://rgantd.ru/book_2.php?link=mozjorin ).
>
> Yet I cannot decide if the dog pictured at
>
> http://www.telesputnik.ru/images/n07/sobaka.gif
>
> is Laika or not.
>
> It is also known that OKB MEI produced their own version of lunar photocamera / TV tranmission system which was not used. One may ask if an OKB MEI TV-system was indeed in use on PS-2; it would explain why the VNII televideniya people never mention it ..."
>
> Best Wishes
>
> Sven
>
> Mr Sven Grahn
> Rattviksvagen 44
> SE-192 71 Sollentuna
> Sweden
> Phone:  +46 8 7541904
> Mobile: +46 70 3443844
> Skype: sven.grahn1
> E-mail: svengrahn at telia.com
> Web: www.svengrahn.pp.se
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