Kosmos 259 (Russian: Космос 259 meaning Cosmos 259), also known as DS-U2-I No.3, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft,[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to study the effects on radio waves of passing through the ionosphere.[1]
| Mission type | Ionospheric |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1968-113A |
| SATCAT no. | 03612 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-U2-I |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 325 kilograms (717 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 14 December 1968, 05:09:54 UTC |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Kapustin Yar 86/4 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 5 May 1969 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 212 kilometres (132 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,210 kilometres (750 mi) |
| Inclination | 48.4 degrees |
| Period | 99 minutes |
A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 259 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/4 at Kapustin Yar.[2] The launch occurred at 05:09:54 UTC on 14 December 1968, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-113A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 03612.
Kosmos 259 was the third and final DS-U2-I satellite to be launched.[1][5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 212 kilometres (132 mi), an apogee of 1,210 kilometres (750 mi), 48.4 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 99 minutes.[6] On 5 May 1969, it decayed from orbit and reentered the atmosphere.[6]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-I". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ "Cosmos 259". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-I". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
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