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Kosmos 1241

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Kosmos 1241
Mission typeASAT target
COSPAR ID1981-006A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.12149Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeLira
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass650 kilograms (1,430 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date21 January 1981, 08:29 (1981-01-21UTC08:29Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-3M
Launch sitePlesetsk 132/1
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude989 kilometres (615 mi)
Apogee altitude995 kilometres (618 mi)
Inclination65.8 degrees
Period105 minutes

Kosmos 1241 (Russian: Космос 1241 meaning Cosmos 1241) was a target satellite which was used by the Soviet Union in the 1980s for tests of anti-satellite weapons as part of the Istrebitel Sputnikov programme.[1] It was launched in 1981, and was itself part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[2] It was a target for Kosmos 1243 and Kosmos 1258.

It was launched at 08:29 UTC on 21 January 1981,[3] using a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket,[4] flying from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northwest Russia.

Kosmos 1241 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 989 kilometres (615 mi), an apogee of 995 kilometres (618 mi), 65.8 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 105 minutes.[2] It was intercepted by Kosmos 1243 on 2 February. This was intended to have been a destructive test; however, the explosive charge aboard Kosmos 1243 failed to detonate. Kosmos 1258 attempted to intercept it on 14 March; however, it failed. As of 2009, Kosmos 1241 is still orbiting the Earth.[1][5]

Kosmos 1241 was the ninth of ten Lira satellites to be launched,[2] of which all but the first were successful. Lira was derived from the earlier DS-P1-M satellite, which it replaced. Kosmos 1241 was also the penultimate satellite to be launched as part of the DS programme, which concluded with Kosmos 1375 in June 1982.

See also

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References

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