Kosmos 1317

Summary

Kosmos 1317 (Russian: Космос 1317 meaning Cosmos 1317) was a Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 1981 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 1317
Mission typeEarly warning
COSPAR ID1981-108A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.12933
Mission duration4 years [1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeUS-K[2]
Launch mass1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date31 October 1981, 22:54 (1981-10-31UTC22:54Z) UTC
RocketMolniya-M/2BL[2]
Launch sitePlesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3]
End of mission
Deactivated26 January 1984[1]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeMolniya [2]
Perigee altitude608 kilometres (378 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude39,723 kilometres (24,683 mi)[4]
Inclination62.9 degrees[4]
Period717.29 minutes[4]
 

Kosmos 1317 was launched from Site 16/2 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 22:54 UTC on 31 October 1981.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1981-108A .[4] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 12933.[4]

Kosmos 1317 was a US-K satellite like Kosmos 862 that self-destructed in orbit, NASA believe deliberately. The first debris elements were spotted on 25 May 1981. All of the resultant debris is still in orbit.[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b 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 2012-03-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  3. ^ a b c McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  5. ^ Anz-Meador, Phillip (December 2022). History of On-orbit Satellite Fragmentations, 16th edition (PDF). NASA. p. 194. Retrieved 23 May 2023.