The flying laboratory "Optik", designed to scan air space and water bodies, was created in Novosibirsk on the basis of Tu-134 plane. This laboratory will perform remote probing of the atmosphere, including gases, suspended matters, clouds, industrial wastes, and products of accidents. "There are no analogs of this laboratory in Russia, it is in the list of unique installations of the RF Ministry of Education and Science; its basic characteristics are the same as in the best American plants", said Boris Belan, Dr. Sc. (Phys. & Math.), supervisor of the project, deputy director of the RAS SB Institute of Atmosphere Optics named after V. Zuev (Tomsk), in his interview to the Science in Siberia newspaper. According to the scientist, the flight vehicle was equipped just in two months thanks to a close cooperation between the customer and the State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vektor (Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region), Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, RAS SB, and Siberian Research Institute of Aviation named after S. Chaplygin (Novosibirsk). Employees of the Chaplygin Institute developed the most complex modules of airtight machines--air scoops--and manufactured them. The production process involved also the RAS SB Experimental Plant (Novosibirsk), manufacturing metal structures and nonstandard equipment on the basis of specifications provided by the customer. The equipment of the plane was carried out at the expense of the RAS Siberian Branch (1.7 mln. rubles) for many years funding field projects implemented by the Institute of Atmosphere Optics named after V. Zuev, which made it possible to support and keep working highly qualified flight personnel in the difficult 1990s and at present attract new specialists. However, future operation expenses will be paid by our foreign partners from France and Japan, who signed relevant contracts with scientists from Tomsk. As Belan explained, "Optik" laboratory is composed of a numbe ... Читать далее