Optical satellite observation station in the Patacamaya / Bolivia /

1971: The first expedition of Soviet astronomers in Bolivia to establish a station observing for satellites.The site was chosen near the town Patacamaya, which is located at an altitude of 3874 m above sea level, about 100 km south-east of the Bolivian capital of La Paz. Observation station was built in 1973 with the help of the Soviet Union. Installed automatic photo camera AFU-75  (D = 210 mm, F = 736 mm). With this satellite camera were conducted photographic observation of satellites. Observational data was used in the international program Big Chord (the definition of the length of the meridian Arctic - Antarctica). In 1974 g. in the same place was set the laser rangefinder for satellite  "INTERCOSMOS (LD-1)". Observations continued until 1980.