Engineering:Kosmos 31

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Kosmos 31
Mission typeTechnology
Cosmic ray
OperatorVNIIEM
COSPAR ID1964-028A
SATCAT no.00803
Mission duration136 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-MT
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date6 June 1964, 06:00:00 GMT
RocketKosmos-2I 63S1
Launch siteKapustin Yar, Mayak-2
End of mission
Decay date20 October 1964
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric[2]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude222 km
Apogee altitude492 km
Inclination49.0°
Period91.6 minutes
Epoch6 juin 1964
 

Kosmos 31 (Russian: Космос 31 meaning Cosmos 31), also known as DS-MT No.2 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1964 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. Its primary mission was to demonstrate an electric gyrodyne orientation system.[3] It also carried a scientific research package as a secondary payload, which was used to study cosmic rays.[3]

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket[4] from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 06:00 GMT on 6 June 1964.[5]

Kosmos 31 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 222 kilometres (138 mi), an apogee of 492 kilometres (306 mi), 49.0° of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.6 minutes. It decayed from orbit on 20 October 1964.[6] Kosmos 31 was the second of three DS-MT satellites to be launched. The first, DS-MT No.1, was lost in a launch failure on 1 June 1963, and the third will be Kosmos 51, which will be launched on 9 December 1964.[7]

See also

  • 1964 in spaceflight

References