Heinz Kaminski
Encyclopedia
Heinz Kaminski was a German chemical engineer
and space researcher.
On 5 October 1957, Kaminski received signals in Bochum from the Sputnik satellite
, the first person outside of the Soviet area of influence to do so. Heinz Kaminski founded and later directed the Bochum Observatory
. He also busied himself with environmental research. Although Kaminski was only an amateur astronomer and not a professional, the press constantly treated him as a source of information on astronomical events. At the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, Kaminski took an active interest in politics - at first in the Green Party, then in the Bürgerpartei.
In the cellar of his house, Kaminski, a former naval radio operator, had built a receiving station from old wooden tables and in the meadow in front of his house in the Bochum district of Sundern erected an antenna
assisted by three co-workers, with whose help he listened in to radio signals from space. During the night of 5 October 1957, Kaminski became the first person outside of the Soviet territories to receive signals from Sputnik 1
, the first artificial satellite in space. The tape recording from Bochum was proof of the start of space travel
.
In 1961, Kaminski took over the leadership of the (Bochum People's Observatory), which had been founded by himself. During the years he built the grounds around the Volkssternwarte into an Institute and made sure that it managed a connection to international space research. At the Bochum Station, signals from a variety of space vehicles from the Sputniks, Lunik
s up to Vostok
and Voskhod
could be received, as well as in 1963 (for the first time in Europe) satellite pictures from the US weather satellite TIROS
-8. In 1967 Kaminski installed a 20 meter parabolic antenna in a radome
, with which all Apollo missions were followed. When his Institut was denied subsidies in 1982, Kaminski changed the Volkssternwarte Bochum into the private "Institut für Umwelt- und Zukunftsforschung" (IUZ) (Institute for Environmental and Future Research), which over the years has developed into a top-rate educational institution.
Due to the efforts of Kaminski, the city of Bochum erected in 1964 the first post-war large planetarium in Deutschland (equipped at the time with a Zeiss Mod. IV). Kaminski was nominated as the first direktor and occupied this position until his retirement in 1986.
In 1972 Kaminski became an honorary professor in the Physics
Department at the University of Essen and gave lectures until the Winter semester 1999/2000 on "Environmental Research via Satellite - Results and Political Consequences".
On 17 February 2002, Kaminski died at the age of 80. He had three children.
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
and space researcher.
On 5 October 1957, Kaminski received signals in Bochum from the Sputnik satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
, the first person outside of the Soviet area of influence to do so. Heinz Kaminski founded and later directed the Bochum Observatory
Bochum Observatory
Bochum Observatory, often known in Bochum as Cape Kaminski is a research institute in Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The institution came into being through a private initiative...
. He also busied himself with environmental research. Although Kaminski was only an amateur astronomer and not a professional, the press constantly treated him as a source of information on astronomical events. At the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, Kaminski took an active interest in politics - at first in the Green Party, then in the Bürgerpartei.
In the cellar of his house, Kaminski, a former naval radio operator, had built a receiving station from old wooden tables and in the meadow in front of his house in the Bochum district of Sundern erected an antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
assisted by three co-workers, with whose help he listened in to radio signals from space. During the night of 5 October 1957, Kaminski became the first person outside of the Soviet territories to receive signals from Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 ) was the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth's orbit. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1s success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the Space...
, the first artificial satellite in space. The tape recording from Bochum was proof of the start of space travel
Space travel
Space travel can refer to:*Spaceflight, the use of space technology to fly a spacecraft into and through outer space, which may include:*Spacefaring, capability of and activity in the art of spaceborn travel.*Human spaceflight...
.
In 1961, Kaminski took over the leadership of the (Bochum People's Observatory), which had been founded by himself. During the years he built the grounds around the Volkssternwarte into an Institute and made sure that it managed a connection to international space research. At the Bochum Station, signals from a variety of space vehicles from the Sputniks, Lunik
Luna programme
The Luna programme , occasionally called Lunik or Lunnik, was a series of robotic spacecraft missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. Fifteen were successful, each designed as either an orbiter or lander, and accomplished many firsts in space exploration...
s up to Vostok
Vostok programme
The Vostok programme was a Soviet human spaceflight project that succeeded in putting a person into Earth's orbit for the first time. The programme developed the Vostok spacecraft from the Zenit spy satellite project and adapted the Vostok rocket from an existing ICBM design...
and Voskhod
Voskhod programme
The Voskhod programme was the second Soviet human spaceflight project. Two manned missions were flown using the Voskhod spacecraft and rocket, one in 1964 and one in 1965....
could be received, as well as in 1963 (for the first time in Europe) satellite pictures from the US weather satellite TIROS
TIROS
TIROS, or Television Infrared Observation Satellite, is a series of early weather satellites launched by NASA, beginning with TIROS-1 in 1960. TIROS was the first satellite that was capable of remote sensing of the Earth. This initial remote-sensing effort was significant because it enabled Earth...
-8. In 1967 Kaminski installed a 20 meter parabolic antenna in a radome
Radome
A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
, with which all Apollo missions were followed. When his Institut was denied subsidies in 1982, Kaminski changed the Volkssternwarte Bochum into the private "Institut für Umwelt- und Zukunftsforschung" (IUZ) (Institute for Environmental and Future Research), which over the years has developed into a top-rate educational institution.
Due to the efforts of Kaminski, the city of Bochum erected in 1964 the first post-war large planetarium in Deutschland (equipped at the time with a Zeiss Mod. IV). Kaminski was nominated as the first direktor and occupied this position until his retirement in 1986.
In 1972 Kaminski became an honorary professor in the Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
Department at the University of Essen and gave lectures until the Winter semester 1999/2000 on "Environmental Research via Satellite - Results and Political Consequences".
On 17 February 2002, Kaminski died at the age of 80. He had three children.
External links
- http://www.satellitenwelt.de/satbeostation.htm#Kaminski
- http://www.sternwarte-bochum.de