MOSCOW: Russia has lost control of its only space radio telescope but officials are working to re-establish communication, the country’s beleaguered space agency said on Monday. The incident is the latest setback for Russia’s debt-laden space industry, which in recent years has suffered the loss of spacecraft, satellites, and a failed manned launch.

The Spektr-R telescope was launched into orbit in 2011 to study black holes, neutron stars and Earth’s magnetic field, among other subjects. Complete with ground-based observatories and a 10-metre-long antenna, RadioAstron is one of the largest telescopes ever made. Some experts say the Spektr-R telescope was one of Russia’s few successful space projects.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019