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BYURAKAN OBSERVATORY IN ARMENIA TO BE MODERNIZED AND OPERATE AT ITS FULL CAPACITY
YEREVAN, February 8. / ARKA /. Viktor Krivopuskov, head of
Rossotrudnichestvo office in Armenia (Rossotrudnichestvo is a Russian
state agency promoting Russia's cultural ties with the rest of the
world), said to a news conference today that the modernized Byurakan
Observatory in Armenia will start operating at its full l capacity
by the end of 2013.
Modernization of the observatory is envisaged by a joint
Russian-Armenian agreement. Krivopuskov said at first stage two
telescopes of the facility will be upgraded and in terms of some of
their parameters they will be the best in the world. Then five small
telescopes manufactured in Russia will be installed.
"We hope that the additional equipment that is able to operate
in a standalone mode will be put into operation in late spring",
Krivopuskov said, adding that Armenia will be one of the main points
of the international system of monitoring space debris and preventing
asteroid and comet danger.
Krivopuskov said the initial modernization cost of the facility
estimated at 4.5 million euros, is expected to rise significantly.
"We have the money and some of the equipment is manufactured and will
soon arrive in Armenia; the other part will arrive in the second and
third quarters of this year, "he said.
Mikhail Kardashenko, director general of Russian Project-Technique
company said Russian specialists visited Byurakan and saw that it is
ready to accept the new equipment.
"The president of the National Academy of Sciences told that the
major instruments of the Byurakan Observatory will be ready for
our modernization by May", he said, adding that this requires some
investment fr om the Armenian side as well.
Kardashenko also said that an agreement was reached on training of
Armenian astronomers in Russia wh ere they will operate the same
equipment which will be installed at Byurakan.
The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory was founded in 1946 on Mount
Aragats at an altitude of 1400 meters. -0-
YEREVAN, February 8. / ARKA /. Viktor Krivopuskov, head of
Rossotrudnichestvo office in Armenia (Rossotrudnichestvo is a Russian
state agency promoting Russia's cultural ties with the rest of the
world), said to a news conference today that the modernized Byurakan
Observatory in Armenia will start operating at its full l capacity
by the end of 2013.
Modernization of the observatory is envisaged by a joint
Russian-Armenian agreement. Krivopuskov said at first stage two
telescopes of the facility will be upgraded and in terms of some of
their parameters they will be the best in the world. Then five small
telescopes manufactured in Russia will be installed.
"We hope that the additional equipment that is able to operate
in a standalone mode will be put into operation in late spring",
Krivopuskov said, adding that Armenia will be one of the main points
of the international system of monitoring space debris and preventing
asteroid and comet danger.
Krivopuskov said the initial modernization cost of the facility
estimated at 4.5 million euros, is expected to rise significantly.
"We have the money and some of the equipment is manufactured and will
soon arrive in Armenia; the other part will arrive in the second and
third quarters of this year, "he said.
Mikhail Kardashenko, director general of Russian Project-Technique
company said Russian specialists visited Byurakan and saw that it is
ready to accept the new equipment.
"The president of the National Academy of Sciences told that the
major instruments of the Byurakan Observatory will be ready for
our modernization by May", he said, adding that this requires some
investment fr om the Armenian side as well.
Kardashenko also said that an agreement was reached on training of
Armenian astronomers in Russia wh ere they will operate the same
equipment which will be installed at Byurakan.
The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory was founded in 1946 on Mount
Aragats at an altitude of 1400 meters. -0-