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The first Georgian space object—a deployable reflector—was launched into orbit on July 16, 1999. On July 23, 1999, the deployment and testing of this first Georgian space object commenced in open space at the orbital station. The process was successfully concluded on July 28, 1999. Subsequently, the first Georgian space object, a fully deployed reflector with a maximum dimension of 6.42 meters, detached from the "Mir" orbital station and began its flight around the Earth in an independent orbit. July 23 of each year has been established in Georgia as the "Day of the First Georgian Space Object." This marks an event of exceptional national significance in the history of Georgia—the first instance of a Georgian human-made artifact leaving Earth and entering the vastness of space..

The General Designer of the first Georgian space object is Elguja Medzmariashvili—the founder of the scientific, academic, and technical branches of space technology and military engineering in Georgia; Doctor of Military Sciences; Doctor of Technical Sciences; Professor; Academician; and Major General.

to provide a clear overview of the reflector's specifications, the technical parameters are outlined in the table below:

Transport Package Dimensions

Total Mass 34 kg

Diameter (D) 0.6 m

Package Height (H1) 1.2 m

Maximum Dimension of Reflective Screen (L_max) 6.24 m

Minimum Dimension of Reflective Screen (L_min) 5.2 m

Maximum Cross-Sectional Height of Reflector (H) 1.1 m

Reflector Deployment Time 11 minutes

Maximum Deviation of Reflective Screen from Design State 0.25 cm

The structure of the reflector features a paraboloid-shaped reflective screen surface. In its Georgian execution, the reflector consists of a deploying load-bearing articulated-tubular structural ring. Its primary functions are to deploy via electric drives—along with its connected pre-tensioned center—and to maintain the operational shape of the central section in a tensioned state.The center is composed of flexible, vertically positioned, tensioned leaves (ribs) arranged radially. These pre-tensioned leaves possess high in-plane rigidity. Furthermore, through their precise profile, they achieve the discrete geometry of the paraboloid to which the reflector's screen—a knitted metal mesh—is attached.

The reflector is attached to the spacecraft via a central node, which also houses the deployment synchronizers. The reflector's screen has an elliptically outlined contour. In the plan view, this is achieved by attaching cantilevered extensions of varying lengths to the circular deploying load-bearing ring, representing the continuation of the central radial ribs. The reflector design is offset. The operation of the reflector's electromechanical system and magnetic sensors is powered by a 27-volt electrical supply.

The creation and successful orbital launch of the first Georgian space object were determined by Elguja Medzmariashvili’s establishment and development of a scientific and technical school for space technology in Georgia, which began in the second half of the 1970s. In the 1980s, a test stand complex for the assembly and full-scale testing of transformable large-scale space structures for the Georgian Institute of Space Constructions was built near Mtskheta in the Aragvi Valley. Unparalleled at the end of the 20th century, this facility was where the construction principles and full-scale testing technological cycles for the first Georgian space object were developed.

The scientific-technical base and potential of the Georgian Institute of Space Constructions facilitated the creation of a new generation of distinct large-scale space structures commissioned by various organizations, including KOMETA, DAIMLER BENZ AEROSPACE, ENERGIA, GREAM, ALENIA SPAZIO, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH, the European Space Agency (ESA), and EOS DATA ANALYTICS. Several of these were launched into orbit, including the first Georgian space object.

The first Georgian space object—a deployable reflector complex with a maximum dimension of 6.42 m—was created, designed, and pre-flight tested entirely in Georgia by Georgian citizens. The space object's project was developed at the Georgian Technical University. The flight and reserve copies of the space object were manufactured at the Tbilisi Aviation Manufacturing Union, where their factory tests were also conducted.

The flight copy of the object—"Aggregate P7.0000.00"—was created in Georgia as a folded transport package and sent to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where it was placed inside a spacecraft. The design, material and equipment provision, manufacturing, stand testing, and space launch were financially and organizationally supported by the internationally registered Georgian company "Georgian Polytechnic Intellect - GPI". The object was officially transferred for orbital launch to the Georgia-registered company "ENERGIA-GPI-SPACE". The President and Director of these companies was Grigori Kinteraia, a Georgian businessman active in Germany. Pre-flight tests of the reserve copy were conducted in Tbilisi at the Georgian Technical University's space technology test hall, which also housed the duplicated mission control center for testing the space object.

The structure of the first Georgian space object, formatted as a folded space transport package, was loaded onto the "Progress M-42" spacecraft. It was launched into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 16, 1999, via a "night launch" utilizing a "Soyuz-U" carrier rocket.The "Progress M-42" spacecraft docked with the "Mir" orbital station on July 18, 1999. It delivered the "payload" sent from Georgia to the international crew of cosmonauts (Sergei Avdeyev, Viktor Afanasyev, and Jean-Pierre Haigneré). The payload included: the aggregate "Reflector P7.0000.00" (the folded transport package); a video instruction film shot in Tbilisi regarding its assembly and deployment; the orbital testing plan developed by the Georgian Institute of Space Constructions; and a space-modified Swedish "Hasselblad" camera with corresponding film. On July 19, 1999, the folded package of the space deployable reflector (diameter 0.6 m, height 1.2 m, mass 34 kg) was transferred by the cosmonauts from the spacecraft to "Mir," the only operational orbital station in the world at that time.

On July 23, the international crew of cosmonauts began mounting the Georgian reflector onto the special "Sofora" structure (the base of which was manufactured in Georgia in the 1980s), preparing it for full-scale testing known as the Experiment "Reflector." Between July 23 and 28, 1999, in open space at the orbital station, the first Georgian space object was deployed and tested in accordance with the plan developed by the Georgian Institute of Space Constructions. The process included the following procedures:

1. Removal of the restraining band from the folded transport package and determination of the reliability of this process, executed by the electromechanical system.

2. Photometric recording of the magnitude of the space structure's free opening. This free opening of the folded reflector is caused by the compressed knitted metal mesh within the package. This behavior is characteristic of ring reflectors and is utilized under strict rules to bring the structure out of "dead zones."

3. Visual inspection of the electromechanical systems following the completion of the free opening, particularly the structure's deploying load-bearing cable, to ensure no cable slack occurred and that the cable length stabilization compensator functioned correctly.

4. Activation of the reflector's deploying electromechanical system to study the transformation process (shape formation) regarding its stabilization and control. This aimed to rule out uncontrolled opening episodes, asynchronous unwinding of radial leaves from the drum, tangling within the structure, unplanned contact between the deploying ring and the mesh, and any anomalies during deployment.

5. Verification of the shape-fixing nodes during the final stage of structural deployment and observation of the invariability of the fixed shape.

6. Control of geometric and force parameters, and inspection of sensors and mechanisms following the deployment of the deploying ring.

7. Verification of the reflector's deploying electric motors and drives after the transformation process to visually confirm their proper functioning during transformation and fixation.

8. Photometric and visual inspection of the reflector's shape formation and final geometry.

9. Verification of the tension quality of the reflector's reflective mesh and a comprehensive visual inspection of the entire screen to ensure no wrinkles formed on the surface.

10. Evaluation of the rigidity of the deployed reflector structure, including parameters of its natural oscillation frequency.

During the deployment on July 23, a deviation from the planned nominal situation occurred, creating an off-nominal space scenario. The cause was relatively minor: working under difficult conditions in open space, the cosmonauts mistakenly plugged the power cable of the reflector's motors into an adjacent 7-volt socket instead of the required 27-volt socket. Despite this, the structure—designed with the capacity to maintain reliable operation under various potential difficulties—began to deploy, albeit in a decelerated mode. On July 23, the reflector reached 40-45% of its diameter, constituting approximately 18-19% of the fully deployed screen area. The cosmonauts spent over five hours in open space, entirely exhausting the single-use resources of their spacesuits, forcing them to suspend the experiment and return to the orbital station.

Following this decelerated and incomplete deployment, two additional points (jointly developed by Georgian and Russian specialists) were added to the testing plan:

A. On July 28, prior to resuming the "Reflector" experiment, verification of the connection of the electromechanical deployment system's power cable plug into the corresponding 27-volt power supply socket on the "Mir" orbital station.

B. Reactivation of the electrical power supply button for the space artifact.The experiment resumed on July 28. By this time, the cosmonauts had identified their error regarding the incorrect connection. Once the electrical supply was switched to 27 volts, operations returned to nominal parameters—the space reflector deployed 100% and assumed its precise design shape. After the successful completion of the testing of the first Georgian space object on July 28, 1999, the reflector complex detached from the space station and commenced its movement around the Earth in an independent satellite orbit. Ultimately, the spacewalk experiment named "Reflector" confirmed that the geometry and tension of the reflective surface of the first Georgian space object—a deployable large-scale reflector created using novel construction principles—perfectly matched the design data. The artifact demonstrated high indicators of rigidity and oscillation frequency. Furthermore, reliable and highly controlled processes of shape formation, shape fixation, and stabilization of the transformable reflector were successfully achieved in automatic control mode.

The testing of the first Georgian space object—the reflector—confirmed:

• The feasibility of creating large deployable, precise, and high-rigidity reflectors in open space, transitioning from a folded state to a fully functional state through shape transformation.

• The attainment of the structure's functional shape through the management and comprehensive control of the reflector's deployment processes at any stage of its deployment.

• The successful fixation of the structure's design shape and its stable maintenance.

• The achieved high rigidity of the reflector's structure and the high frequency of its natural oscillations.

• The realization of a paraboloid surface through high-quality tensioning of the reflective screen.

• The capability to completely eliminate anomalous shape-formation processes during the reflector's transformation.

Thus, transporting a reflector—created using a novel and distinct structural principle—into open space in a folded state, its successful deployment, and the determination of parameters envisaged by the testing program (which fully met the requirements at all stages), marked the beginning of a new direction in global cosmonautics regarding the creation and practical realization of large, precise, rigid, and lightweight space reflectors.

Reflectors of this type enable the manufacture of lightweight, precise, and rigid antennas and solar energy concentrators ranging from 5 to 30 meters in size, which is of exceptional importance in space technology.

Large deployable space reflector antennas are utilized for detecting ballistic missile launches, determining the movements of submarines, tracking and controlling the dislocation and movement of military equipment, resolving telecommunications tasks, providing mobile communications, studying the Earth, its climate, fauna and flora, water resources, and mineral wealth, as well as servicing other sectors, ensuring radio and television broadcasting, and solving numerous scientific tasks, including the study of the universe.

The successful testing of the first Georgian space object in open space at the "Mir" orbital station on July 23, 1999, and its subsequent transition to an independent orbit, became an event of exceptional national significance in the history of Georgia. This is highlighted in the Decree of the President of Georgia, which established July 23 of each year as the "Day of the First Georgian Space Object.

The launch of the first Georgian space object—the deployable reflector—into orbit and its successful testing, representing a historical event for Georgia, was commemorated with the issuance of dedicated postage stamps. For the successful orbital launch and testing of the first Georgian space object, and in recognition of the profound significance of this event, on August 2, 1999, 79 citizens of Georgia and foreign countries were awarded Georgian state orders and medals, and received formal commendations.

The deployment and successful testing of the first Georgian space object is recognized in scientific literature as the inception of new technologies in global cosmonautics, and the date of its realization is enshrined in the list of significant chronicles of space exploration. It is highly significant that Georgia became the fourth state—following the United States of America, Russia, and Japan—capable of successfully launching and testing a large-scale deployable reflector in orbit.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the pantographic ring structures, which are considered a fundamental priority in the creation of modern large-scale deployable space reflector antennas (and which were utilized in the first Georgian space object), were conceived and developed in the early 1980s for Soviet space programs at the Georgian Institute of Space Constructions by Elguja Medzmariashvili. In 2002, a world-class scientific conference in the field of space technology was held in Cambridge. By the decision of the organizing committee, an image of the first Georgian space object during its orbital flight was selected as the official logo of the international conference. The first Georgian space object stands as the first human-made artifact in the history of the Georgian nation to overcome Earth's gravity, successfully deploy in the vastness of space, undergo testing, and commence its independent trajectory.

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