Kosmos 1030

Summary

Kosmos 1030 (Russian: Космос 1030 meaning Cosmos 1030) was a Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 1978 as part of the Soviet military's Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]

Kosmos 1030
Mission typeEarly warning
COSPAR ID1978-083A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.11015
Mission duration4 years [1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeUS-K[2]
Launch mass1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date6 September 1978, 03:04 (1978-09-06UTC03:04Z) UTC
RocketMolniya-M/2BL[2]
Launch sitePlesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3]
End of mission
Deactivated10 October 1978[1]
Decay date17 August 2004 (2004-08-18)[4]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeMolniya [2]
Perigee altitude667 kilometres (414 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude39,737 kilometres (24,691 mi)[4]
Inclination62.8 degrees[4]
Period718.77 minutes[4]
 

Launch edit

Kosmos 1030 was launched from Site 43/4 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Russian SSR.[3] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 03:04 UTC on 6 September 1978.[3]

Orbit edit

The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1978-083A.[4] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 11015.[4]

The satellite self-destructed on October 10, 1978, breaking into 13 pieces of which several are still on orbit.[1][5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10 (1): 21–60. Bibcode:2002S&GS...10...21P. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. S2CID 122901563. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b c McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  5. ^ Anz-Meador, Phillip (December 2022). History of On-orbit Satellite Fragmentations (PDF) (16th ed.). p. 25. Retrieved 10 May 2023.