Kosmos 461
Mission typeAstronomy
Micrometeoroids
COSPAR ID1971-105A
SATCAT no.05643Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-U2-MT
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass680 kilograms (1,500 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date2 December 1971, 17:30:00 (1971-12-02UTC17:30Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-3M
Launch sitePlesetsk 132/1
End of mission
Decay date21 February 1979 (1979-02-22)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude486 kilometres (302 mi)
Apogee altitude508 kilometres (316 mi)
Inclination69.2 degrees
Period94.55 minutes
 

Kosmos 461 (Russian: Космос 461 meaning Cosmos 461), also known as DS-U2-MT No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 680-kilogram (1,500 lb) spacecraft,[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to investigate micrometeoroids and conduct gamma ray astronomy.[2]

Launch

A Kosmos-3M carrier rocket, serial number 47119-109, was used to launch Kosmos 461 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.[3] The launch occurred at 17:30:00 UTC on 2 December 1971, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[4]

Orbit

Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-105A.[5] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 05643.

Kosmos 461 was the only DS-U2-MT satellite to be launched.[2][6] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 486 kilometres (302 mi), an apogee of 508 kilometres (316 mi), 69.2 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 94.55 minutes.[7] It completed operations on 14 December 1972,[1] before decaying from orbit and reentering the atmosphere on 21 February 1979.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "World Civil Satellites 1957-2006". Space Security Index. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-MT". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  3. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  4. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  5. ↑ "Cosmos 461". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  6. ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-MT". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  7. 1 2 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 December 2009.


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