Suriya K. Tatevyan

Russian Federation

1937-2015

Obituary:

Was born 22.01.1937 in Bakou, Azerbaydjan. In 1960 she gradu-ated from the Moscow State Geodetic University, Astronomy-Geodesy department. Since 1962 constantly worked in the Astro-nomical Council (since 1991 renamed to the Institute of Astronomy of the USSR, now – Institute of Astronomy – INASAN) in vari-ous positions: from Junior Researcher (1962) till the head of the Satellite Geodesy department (1986). She received her Ph.D. in 1967 and her full D. in 1998. Passed away on July 16 2015. She was an Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, a member of the "Asia-Pacific Space Geodynamics" International Project Steering Committee, a member of the Space Research Co-ordination Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the field of earth sciences. Member of the Coordinating Council of RAS on the problems of the coordinate and time support.

Her research interests relate to the areas of space geodesy, geophysics and geodynamics. She is the author of over 110 scientific papers and one invention.

She is one of the initiators of the wide use of the measurements of satellite laser ranging, satellite navigation systems GPS and GLONASS, satellite radio Doppler DORIS system in the fundamental research.

In the 1960s - 1980s, the main scientific interests are connected with the use of the laser ranging satellite observations for the purposes of geodesy and geophysics. During this period, there is provid-ed a method of short arc for the ground points positioning. The main advantage of the method is to maximize the use of the obtained observational material which allows to determining the coordinates of the stations within the limited tracking territory. Since 1968, she takes an active part in the international cooperation on the program "Intercosmos" in the field of exploration and use of outer space, the partic-ipation in the development of laser range satellite device "Intercosmos".

She participates in the "Big chord" project in order to determine the meridian arc stretching from the island of Spitsbergen to Antarctica with the local geodetic networks adjustments to the nodal points of the chord. In 1980-1984 she participates in the international project MERIT with the aim of the de-velopment the new methods for the Earth's rotation studying.

In the last years of her life she actively involved in solving the problems of coordinate-time sup-port of the Russian Federation on the basis of various modern satellite technologies (GPS, GLONASS, DORIS). With her direct participation on the Russian territory are created and success-fully functioning GPS/GLONASS and DORIS networks included in international navigation (IGS) and DORIS (IDS) services. Her research interests cover various fields of space geodesy and geody-namics (high-precision positioning on the earth surface, and the change of the points velocities, the movement of the center of mass of the Earth, studying the Earth rotation parameters, the definition of the gravitational field of the Earth and others).

She successfully carried out the work with young scientists. Under her scientific direction four persons received their Ph.D. theses.

She was awarded by the State medal “Za trudovyu doblest” (1983) as well as with different awards from the RAS and the Russian Space Agency.

REFERENCE:
Information prepared by Kuzin S.P. - Senior Researcher of the INASAN.