The Current and Future of Ground and Space-VLBI Science.

Abstract

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) has been developing for more than half a century and came to a new level after the emergence of the possibility to launch radio telescope into space. Radioastron mission that is led by Astro Space Center was launched in July, 2011 and currently is the only 10-m space radio telescope operating for more than 6 years. It operates as a Space-Earth interferometer together with more than 40 ground telescopes, observing pulsars, masers, AGN&QSO sources with the highest angular resolution. Millimetron is the next space observatory of Astro Space Center to be addressed for the far infrared, sub-millimeter and millimeter wavelength ranges. The unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution of the cooled 10-m telescope, operating in a L2 orbit, will provide the astronomical community an opportunity to solve key scientific problems in astronomy and astrophysics. The observatory will have two observing modes: Space-Earth VLBI element and single dish telescope.