Engineering:Kosmos 245

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Kosmos 245
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1968-083A
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date3 October 1968, 12:58:59 (1968-10-03UTC12:58:59Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date15 January 1969 (1969-01-16)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude260 kilometres (160 mi)
Apogee altitude443 kilometres (275 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.6 minutes
 

Kosmos 245 (Russian: Космос 245 meaning Cosmos 245), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.16, was a Soviet satellite which was used as a radar calibration target for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. It was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[1] It had a mass of 325 kilograms (717 lb).[1]

Kosmos 245 was launched from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[2] atop a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 3 October 1968 at 12:58:59 UTC, and resulted in Kosmos 245's successful deployment into low Earth orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-083A.

Kosmos 245 was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 260 kilometres (160 mi), an apogee of 443 kilometres (275 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.6 minutes.[1][4] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 15 January 1969.[4] It was the sixteenth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the fifteenth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5]

See also

  • 1968 in spaceflight

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/craft/dsp1yu.htm. 
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt. 
  3. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/kosmos2.htm. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. http://www.planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt. 
  5. Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ds-p1-yu.htm.