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 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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