TeamNathanFTW’s New and Improved Blog : February 1996

Wednesday, February 28, 1996

1985-007A

Gorizont 21L carried a supplementary science payload including an ion spectrometer.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Gorizont No. 21(11)



1985 Jan 18	1025:00	Launch by Proton	KB
	1034	Proton 8S812 sep	182 x 190 x 51.6
	1142?	Blok-DM burn	361 x 35039 x 47.4
	1658?	DM burn 2
	1702?	Blok-DM No. 52L sep
1985 Jan 18			1401.34 35043 x 35162 x 1.67 GEO 87.7E+9.0E
1985 Jan 25			1401.31 35045 x 35160 x 1.5 GEO 148.8E+9.0E
1985 Jan 26			1435.83 35748 x 35814 x 1.5 GEO 139.4E+0.06E
1985 Feb 3			1435.95 35749 x 35817 x 1.5 GEO 139.8E+0.03E
1986 Aug 30			1436.17 35779 x 35797 x 0.1 GEO 140.1E+0.03W
1987 Jan 27			1436.27 35782 x 35798 x 0.4 GEO 139.6E+0.05W
1987 Feb		Move to 53E
1987 Feb 28			1436.38 35724 x 35860 x 0.4 GEO 53.1E
1987 Apr 11			1436.02 35727 x 35842 x 0.6 GEO 53.0E
1988 Feb 16			1436.22 35771 x 35806 x 1.4 GEO 52.5E
1989 Feb 7			1436.04 35779 x 35791 x 2.3 GEO 52.7E
1989 Mar 8			1435.88 35773 x 35792 x 2.4 GEO 53.6E
1989 Mar 9		mv out	1440.12 35778 x 35952 x 2.4 GEO 53.5E+1.0W
1989 May 17		mv in	1436.30 35777 x 35803 x 2.6 GEO 11.3W+0.6W
1989 Jul 20			1436.00 35780 x 35789 x 2.7 GEO 11.3W+0.02E
1990 Feb 24			1436.09 35765 x 35807 x 3.3 GEO 11.4W+0.0W
1991 Feb 7			1436.09 35763 x 35809 x 4.1 GEO 11.2W+0.0W
1991 Sep 2		Decommissioned
1992 Jan 9			1436.09 35778 x 35794 x 4.9 GEO 11.1W+0.01W
1992 May 13			1436.07 35770 x 35802 x 5.3 GEO 10.6W+0.01W
1992 Oct 24			1436.02 35781 x 35788 x 5.6 GEO 8.6W+0.01E
1993 Aug 26			1435.27 35752 x 35788 x 6.3 GEO 16.7E+0.2E

Tuesday, February 27, 1996

The Missile and Space Race

https://welib.org/md5/efea0a9458e62cca4bd3bcc09b0d22b9

Friday, February 23, 1996

Kosmos 1209

1980-072A

Resurs F-1 17F41 No. 14 was launched on 1980 Sep 3 and named Kosmos-1209.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-1209



1980 Sep 3	1020	Launch by Soyuz-U	PL LC41
	1028	Blok-I sep	89.37 211 x 212 x 82.33
			89.44 210 x 280 x 82.35
1980 Sep 4			90.05 272 x 279 x 82.33
1980 Sep 17			89.78 255 x 268 x 82.34
	0615?	Deorbit
	0625?	PO sep
	0634?	Entry
	0649?	Landed

Freshman Follies

https://welib.org/md5/1ab99772711b8abb47e5cdbaac238f75

Thursday, February 22, 1996

The first AFP-827 satellite was launched in Aug 1968 from Cape Canaveral and was the first classified launch to orbit from that site. It used the new Atlas SLV-3A Agena D launch vehicle. The Agena D rocket delivered CANYON to an elliptical geostationary transfer orbit, and then ignited again to raise the orbit to geosynchronous altitude. However, the orbit remained inclined at 10 degrees to the equator and was somewhat elliptical, giving CANYON a figure-of-eight ground track. CANYON 1 remained attached to its Agena, which was the first Agena to enter geosynchronous orbit.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

CANYON 1



1968 Aug 6	1116?	Launch by Atlas SLV-3A Agena D	CC LC13
		BECO
		Atlas sep
	1121?	Agena MES-1
	1126?	Agena MECO-1	190? x 190? x 28.5
	1145?	Agena MES-2
		Agena MECO-2	190? x 39000? x 28.5?
	1745?	Agena MES-3
		Agena MECO-3
			1436.0 31680 x 39680 x 9.9 GEO W USSR
1968 Sep?		Agena sep

Tuesday, February 20, 1996

Prognoz 9

1983-067A

Prognoz-9 used the same bus as the other Prognoz satellites, and also carried solar and plasma detectors, but its primary mission was quite different. The spacecraft was placed in a much more elliptical orbit with an apogee at twice the distance to the Moon. From this deep space vantage point, Prognoz-9 operated the RELIKT experiment, which attempted to measure the quadrupole moment of the cosmic microwave background.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Prognoz-9



1983 Jul 1	1217	Launch by Molniya-M	KB
	1226	Blok-I sep
		BOZ sep
	1334?	Blok-L burn
		Blok-L MECO
		Blok-L sep
			27d 380 x 720000 x 65.5
1983 Jul 2	0338	Pass EL1:4
1983 Jul 3	0000	Height 263000 km
1983 Jul 14	0800	Apogee 1 at 713700 km
1983 Jul 26		Perigee 2
1983 Aug 9		Apogee 2, 702100 km
1983 Aug 22	0130?	Perigee 3
1983 Sep 3	1148?	Apogee 3, 670300 km
1983 Sep 16	0720?	Perigee 4, 47700 km
1983 Sep 28	0200?	Apogee 4, 646800 km

Monday, February 19, 1996

Aviation Week: October 30,1995

https://welib.org/md5/938abf95dccaf23d626d870f7dfd7546

Sunday, February 18, 1996

Venera 10

1975-054A

The second V-75 Venus orbiter was 4V-1 No. 661, Venera-10. Prior to first TCM, closest approach was calculated as Oct 25 0831 with a 78000 km miss distance.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Venera-10



1975 Jun 14	0300:31	Launch by Proton-K	KB
	0309	St 3 sep
	0313?	Blok-D burn
	0315?	MECO-1
	0422?	MES-2
	0430:05	MECO-2, solar insertion
	1338?	EL1:4
1975 Jun 19	1100?	Exit Earth sphere
1975 Jun 21	1259:59	TCM 14.4m/s
1975 Jun 24?		Solar orbit
1975 Oct 18	0219:42	TCM 9.7m/s
1975 Oct 23	0720	SA sep
		TCM 0.242 km/s
1975 Oct 25		VOI burn 0.976 km/s
1975 Oct 25		Venus orbit insertion	1400 x 114000 x 29.5
		VOI-2	1620 x 113900 x 29.5
1976 Apr 19		Turned off

1975-054D

The Venera-10 SA landed at 291 00 long, 16 02 N. It survived for 65 minutes. Conditions at the landing site were 465 C, 92 bar.

Entry was 10.7? km/s at 22.5 deg, altitude 125 km.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Venera-10 SA



1975 Jun 14		Launch by Proton-K	KB
1975 Oct 21	1700?	Enter Venus sphere
1975 Oct 23	0720	Sep from Venera-9
1975 Oct 25	0355:33	Entry (0402 ERT)
1975 Oct 25	0512:11	Landed (0517:06 ERT)
1975 Oct 25	0617	End of transmissions, 65 min

Sunset Paradise

https://welib.org/md5/e86323f06a2c94d0d6c33521aa95335d

Saturday, February 17, 1996

Molniya 343

1992-085A

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Molniya-3 No. 56



1992 Dec 2	0157:00	Launch by 8K78M	PL
		BVGD sep
		GO sep
		T+4:46 Blok A sep
		T+4:56 KhO sep
		T+8:46 Blok-I MECO
	0205	T+8:50 Blok-I sep
		T+53:16 BOZ burn
	0250	T+53:56 BOZ sep
		ML burn
		T+56:46 ML MECO
	0253	T+56:54 ML sep
			701.37 423 x 39119 x 62.80

Kosmos 149

1967-024A

The DS-MO ("Optical") satellite had the goal of measuring time-space variations of the Earth's radiation balance with optical, IR and UV spectra; measuring ozone and water vapor in the atmosphere and the Earth surface temperature; and testing aerodynamic attitude control systems.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-149



1967 Mar 21	1007	Launch by 11K63	GTsP4
	1009	Stage 2 burn
	1015?	Stage 2 sep	89.8 245 x 285 x 48.4
1967 Apr 7		Reentered

Molniya 203

1972-075A

Molniya-2 F3 was launched in Sep 1972.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Molniya-2 F3



1972 Sep 30	2019:01	Launch by 8K78M	PL
		BVGD sep
		GO sep
		T+4:46 Blok A sep
		T+4:56 KhO sep
		T+8:46 Blok-I MECO
	2027	T+8:50 Blok-I sep
		T+53:16 BOZ burn
	2112	T+53:56 BOZ sep
		ML burn
		T+56:46 ML MECO
	2115	T+56:54 ML sep
1972 Sep 30			703.2 392 x 39240 x 65.6 (RAE)
1972 Oct 11	0344		703.21 422 x 39210 x 65.5
1972 Nov 1	0004		717.48 473 x 39865 x 65.4
1972 Dec 18	2005		717.55 520 x 39823 x 65.5
1972 Dec 29		End of ops
1973 Mar 5	1405		717.78 679 x 39674 x 65.5
1976 Jun 6			717.55 972 x 39370 x 65.5
1977 Jun 29			717.47 325 x 40014 x 65.2
1978 Jan 12		Reentered

Thursday, February 15, 1996

Adventures and Letters

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/405/405.txt

Tuesday, February 13, 1996

Kosmos 187

1967-106A

The rapid pace of OGCh testing continued with another launch, Kosmos-187, on 1967 Oct 28. There was a problem with the main second stage engine and the deorbit engine underburned causing a 12 km overshoot.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-187



1967 Oct 28	1315:01	Launch by 8K69	KB
	1317	Stage 2 burn
	1320	Stage 2 sep	88.9 143 x 301 x 49.6
	1320	Adapter sep
	1445?	Deorbit
	1446?	Retro sep
	1448?	Impact near GTsP4?

Saturday, February 10, 1996

Kosmos 155

1967-033A

Zenit-4 No. 28 was the first Zenit launch to 51.8 degrees during 1967.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-155



1967 Apr 12	1051:02	Launch by 11A57	KB
	1055	Blok-I burn
	1100	Blok-I sep	89.1 193 x 272 x 51.8 (RAE)
1967 Apr 12	1806		89.29 202 x 276 x 51.8
1967 Apr 19	2227		89.11 199 x 261 x 51.8
1967 Apr 20	1027?	Deorbit
	1052?	Landed

Friday, February 9, 1996

Kosmos 133

1966-107A

The first Soyuz 7K-OK test flight was spacecraft 11F615 No. 2, launched on 1966 Nov 28 and designated Kosmos-133. It was the first flight of the 11A511 Soyuz launch vehicle. 7K-OK No. 1, the passive target, was to be launched the next day but after orbit insertion 7K-OK No. 2's DPO attitude control system fired to depletion sending the craft tumbling at two revs per min. The DPO engines were also used by the SKD main engine, so the backup DKD engine was considered for deorbit, but its attitude control system turned out to be connected up wrong. A first deorbit burn was made on Rev 18 with a cutoff at 10s, and another on the next rev failed after 15s. An attempt to counteract decay until the next passes over the USSR also failed.

The next day's burn was mostly nominal except that it cut off late. One report says that the descent module was exploded on command when it was discovered that the trajectory was taking it on course for an impact in China or South Korea. The Kamanin diaries suggest the auto destruct cut in when it overshot the USSR and fell in the Pacific east of the Mariana Is.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-133



1966 Nov 28	1100	Launch by 11A511	KB
	1104	Blok-I burn
	1109	Blok-I sep	88.39 141 x 249 x 51.78
1966 Nov 29	0000		174 x 220 x 51.83
	1430?	Rev 18 SKD burn deorbit, 10s
	1620?	Rev 19 SKD burn deorbit, 15s
	1750?	Rev 20? SKD burn raise, 20s
1966 Nov 30	0200		148 x 173 x 51.82
	0945?	Rev 33 SKD burn deorbit, early cutoff
	1120?	Rev 34 SKD deorbit
	1135?	PAO, BO sep
	1140?	Reentry

Wednesday, February 7, 1996

Apollo AS-203

1966-059A

The Apollo-Saturn 203 (AS-203) mission was launched at 1453 on 1966 Jul 5 by Uprated Saturn I from LC37B at Cape Kennedy. The rocket carried the S-IVB-203 stage, the S-IU-203 instrument unit (a new design), and a special nose fairing. The fairing was a double angle cone with a Q-ball tip. Length of the fairing was 9.53m with base diameter 6.60m.

The inboard S-I engines cut off at T+2:18, followed by the outboard ones at T+2:22. Two camera capsules were ejected from the S-IB. The S-IVB ignited at 1455, cutting off at 1500 (T+4:50), and entering an 88.3 min 183 x 212 km x 32.0 deg. The LH2 tank was about half full at orbit insertion. The engine restart capability was briefly demonstrated but no ignition was performed. On the 4th orbit a pressure differential test on the LOX/LH2 common bulkhead was performed; the LOX tank had been depressurized, and the LH2 tank valves were closed while pressure built up due to external heating. Pressure rose well in excess of design values and the stage disintegrated at 2114 on 1966 Jul 5.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

AS-203



1966 Jul 5	1453:17	Launch by Saturn IB	CK LC37B
	1455:36	T+2:19 IECO
	1455:39	T+2:22 OECO, 3.059m/s
	1455:40	T+2:23 Staging	-5930 x 134
	1455:41	T+2:24 S4B MES
	1455:52	T+2:35 Ullage case jettison
	1456:05	T+2:48 Camera capsules eject from SIB
	1456:12	Panel sep
	1457:48	S-IB apogee
	1500:30	T+7:13 S4B MECO
	1501:25	T+8:08 LH2 CVS on
	1501		88.21 185 x 187 x 32.0 (MPR)
	1503:01	S-IB impact
	1625	T+1:32 LH2 CVS off
	1627	Rev 2	88.42 193 x 200 x 32.0 (MPR)
	1631	Engine restart prep
	1738		88.49 184 x 214 x 32.0 (TLE)
	1754	T+3:01 Begin fuel chilldown
	1800	T+3:07 Venting tests
	1803	Rev 3	88.56 196 x 209 x 32.0 (MPR)
	1936	Rev 4	88.70 202 x 217 x 32.0 (MPR)
	1937	T+4:44 Venting tests end
	2045	LH2 Pressure test
	2108	Final data
	2114	Disintegrated

Saturday, February 3, 1996

Kosmos 134

1966-108A

Zenit-4 No. 26 was launched on an 8 day mission in Dec 1966.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-134



1966 Dec 3	0815	Launch by 11A57	KB
	0819?	Blok-I burn
	0824?	Blok-I sep
1966 Dec 3	1835		89.51 205 x 294 x 65.0
1966 Dec 7	1502		89.44 204 x 288 x 65.0
1966 Dec 11	0528?	Deorbit
	0550	Landed

Luna 9

1966-006A

Luna-9 was the first successful mission. It was article E-6M No. 13. The ALS lander has a pressurized spherical main spacecraft with a radio, a program timer, chemical batteries, telemetry and a thermal regulation system. Four antennae and a TV camera extend from the lander after its four `petals' open to turn it upright. The TV camera returned the first close up pictures of lunar soil.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Luna-9



1966 Jan 31	1141:37	Launch by Molniya	KB
	1146	Blok-A sep
	1146	Blok-I burn
	1150	Blok-I sep	173 x 225 x 52 (TASS)
	1248?	BOZ burn
	1249?	Blok-L burn
	1253:21	Blok-L cutoff, sep
1966 Feb 1	1929	TCM, 233000 km from Moon, 71.2m/s
1966 Feb 3	1750?	Retro orientation, 8300 km
1966 Feb 3	1844:42	Modules (otsekov) sep
	1844:42	Retro burn 75 km, 2.6 km/s
	1845:17	Cutoff, 0.25km
	1845:25	Dvigatel'niy ustanovka sep
	1845:30	ALS Lunar landing 7 08 N 64 22 W
	1845:50	Airbag jettison
	1846	Petals open
	1849:40	Transmission to Earth
1966 Feb 6	2255	End of transmissions

Payload:

DU (Dvigatel'niy ustanovka, engine unit)
SA (Descent apparatus)
TV camera

Thursday, February 1, 1996

Kosmos 59

1965-015A

The next Zenit-4 spacecraft was No. 11; from now on the Zenit-2 and Zenit-4 payloads would be launched significantly out of production number sequence, suggesting that a large production line was underway by this time. This Zenit-4 carried a special experiment: the adapter for the Volga airlock was mounted outside the cabin. After Voskhod-2's spacewalk, its Volga airlock would be jettisoned leaving the thin adapter ring still attached to the cabin; Korolyov was concerned that the ring would destabilize the cabin on reentry, and this test flight proved there was no problem.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

Kosmos-59



1965 Mar 7	0859:28	Launch by 11A57	KB
	0909?	Blok-I sep	89.78 217 x 310 x 65.0
1965 Mar 7			89.78 219 x 306 x 65.0
1965 Mar 8			89.79 205 x 322 x 65.0
	1205?	Volga airlock jettison
1965 Mar 15	0655?	Deorbit
	0715?	Landed

Gambit-3 6

1967-064A

KH-8 no. 6 was GAMBIT program flight 44, following the final KH-7 flight. It flew a 10 day mission in a 127 x 325 km x 111 deg orbit after launch from Vandenberg on 1967 Jun 20. The Titan second stage had problems again, but in a much more minor key: part of the engine skirt blew off leading to a 27 m/s underspeed; orbit was 4 x 85 km lower than planned. The orbit was adjusted on rev 32 but the Agena engine suffered a chamber pressure loss. Another Agena burn on rev 98 tweaked the orbit when the mission was extended from 8 days to 10.

The mission orbit with a perigee at high northern latitudes and an early morning launch, allowing daytime imagery on ascending as well as descending passes over the northern hemisphere.

Date	Time	Event	Orbit

KH-8 6



1967 Jun 20	1615	Launch by Titan IIIB Agena D	V SLC4W
	1620	Agena burn
	1625	Agena MECO
			89.0 127 x 325 x 111.4
1967 Jun 20	2312		89.19 129 x 339 x 111.4
1967 Jun 22	1518		88.99 128 x 320 x 111.4
1967 Jun 22	1700?	Rev 32 orbit raise
1967 Jun 26	0150		89.22 133 x 338 x 111.4
1967 Jun 28		Rev 98 orbit tweak
1967 Jun 30	2310?	SRV deorbit
	2350?	SRV recovered?
1967 Jun 30	2141?	SRV recovered rev 164
1967 Jun 30	2315?	Deboost rev 165
1967 Jun 30		Reentered after 10d