Monday, April 3, 1972

Kosmos 1

  1962-008


The DS-2 No. 1 satellite was the third launch attempt by Yangel. The stripped down spherical DS-2 satellite had a mass of 47 kg and carried practically no equipment except for an ionospheric beacon. This time the 63S1 rocket reached orbit successfully, placing DS-2 No. 1 in a 49 degree inclination orbit from which its ionospheric beacon payload transmitted for at least a month. After orbit insertion, the satellite was declared to be part of the Kosmos program, inaugurating the Kosmos cover name which would be used for the majority of Soviet space missions. The announcement of the Kosmos program indicated that it would consist of scientific satellites, but the program also included all military payloads, and unacknowledged in-orbit failures from other civilian programs.


Kosmos-1 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1962 Mar 16  1159 Launch by 63S1 No. 6LK  GTsP4 Mayak-2 
 1201 Stage 2 burn 
 1206? Stage 2 sep 
   204 x 967 x 49.0 
1962 Apr 15   Mayak still transmitting 
1962 May 25   Reentered 

Payload:

  • Mayak-O2 E-177-2 ionospheric beacon 2-channel transmitter

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