Kosmos 481 (Russian: Космос 481 meaning Cosmos 481), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.46, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1972 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 375-kilogram (827 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]
| Mission type | ABM radar target |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1972-020A |
| SATCAT no. | 05906 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-P1-Yu |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 375 kilograms (827 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 March 1972, 10:39:59 UTC |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Plesetsk 133/1 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 2 September 1972 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 262 kilometres (163 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 478 kilometres (297 mi) |
| Inclination | 71 degrees |
| Period | 92 minutes |
Launch
editKosmos 481 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit at 10:39:59 UTC on 25 March 1972.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket.
Orbit
editUpon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1972-020A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 05906.
Kosmos 481 was the fifty-first of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the forty-sixth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 262 kilometres (163 mi), an apogee of 478 kilometres (297 mi), 71 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 92 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 2 September 1972.[6]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ "Cosmos 481". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
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