Kosmos 455 (Russian: Космос 455 meaning Cosmos 455), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.54, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]

Kosmos 455
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1971-097A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.05608Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date17 November 1971, 11:09:48 (1971-11-17UTC11:09:48Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date9 April 1972 (1972-04-10)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude266 kilometres (165 mi)
Apogee altitude468 kilometres (291 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.9 minutes

Launch

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Kosmos 455 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit on 17 November 1971, with the rocket lifting off at 11:09:48 UTC.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket.

Orbit

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Upon reaching the orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-097A.[4]

Kosmos 455 was the forty-seventh of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the forty-second of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 266 kilometres (165 mi), an apogee of 468 kilometres (291 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.9 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and re-entered the atmosphere on 9 April, 1972.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 455". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.