Kosmos 1171 (Russian: Космос 1171 meaning Cosmos 1171) was a satellite which was used as a target for tests of anti-satellite weapons. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1980 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme,[1] and used as a target for Kosmos 1174,[2] as part of the Istrebitel Sputnikov programme.

Kosmos 1171
Mission typeASAT target
COSPAR ID1980-026A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.11750Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeLira
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass650 kilograms (1,430 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date3 April 1980, 07:40 (1980-04-03UTC07:40Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-3M
Launch sitePlesetsk 132/2
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude969 kilometres (602 mi)
Apogee altitude1,001 kilometres (622 mi)
Inclination65.8 degrees
Period104.8 minutes

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket,[3] from Site 132/2 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch occurred at 07:40 UTC on 3 April 1980.[4]

Kosmos 1171 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 969 kilometres (602 mi), an apogee of 1,001 kilometres (622 mi), 65.8 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 104.8 minutes.[1] It was to have been intercepted by Kosmos 1174 on 18 April, however the interceptor malfunctioned and missed the target. Two further attempts over the next two days also failed, before the interceptor was commanded to self-destruct. As of 2009, Kosmos 1171 is still in orbit.[2][5]

Kosmos 1171 was the eighth of ten Lira satellites to be launched,[1] of which all but the first were successful. Lira was derived from the earlier DS-P1-M satellite, which it replaced.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-M". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  2. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "IS-A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  4. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  5. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 3 June 2009.