Kosmos 545 (Russian: Космос 545 meaning Cosmos 545), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.62, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1973 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 400-kilogram (880 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 545
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1973-004A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.06348Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass400 kilograms (880 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date24 January 1973, 11:44:50 (1973-01-24UTC11:44:50Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date31 July 1973 (1973-08-01)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude256 kilometres (159 mi)
Apogee altitude477 kilometres (296 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.9 minutes

Launch

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Kosmos 545 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit at 11:44:50 UTC on 24 January 1973.[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 orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1973-004A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 06348.

Kosmos 545 was the sixtieth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the fifty-fourth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 256 kilometres (159 mi), an apogee of 477 kilometres (296 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.9 minutes.[6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 31 July 1973.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 545". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.