Kosmos 1261

Kosmos 1261
Mission type Early warning
COSPAR ID 1981-031A
SATCAT № 12376
Mission duration 4 years [1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type US-K [2]
Launch mass 1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 31 March 1981, 09:40 (1981-03-31UTC09:40Z) UTC
Rocket Molniya-M/2BL[2]
Launch site Plesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3]
End of mission
Deactivated 1 May 1981[1]
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Molniya [2]
Perigee 637 kilometres (396 mi)[4]
Apogee 39,747 kilometres (24,698 mi)[4]
Inclination 63.0 degrees[4]
Period 718.39 minutes[4]

Kosmos 1261 (Russian: Космос 1261 meaning Cosmos 1261) was a Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 1981 as part of the Soviet military's Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]

Kosmos 1261 was launched from Site 41/1 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Russian SSR.[3] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 09:40 UTC on 31 March 1981.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1981-031A.[4] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 12376.[4]

It self-destructed.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (pdf). Science and Global Security. 10: 21–60. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  3. 1 2 3 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 3/6/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.