On potentialities of a multipurpose astrophysical orbital observatory in studies of high-energy cosmic rays

Potentialities of a multipurpose astrophysical orbital observatory designed on the basis of ionization-neutron calorimetry for direct studies of high-energy primary cosmic radiation is considered. Scientific goals of the project are discussed, including measurements of energy spectra and PCR charge composition in a wide energy range up to the "knee" energies (1015 – 1016 eV) as well as a number of other astrophysical goals.