Summary
Kosmos 2441 (Russian: Космос 2441 meaning Cosmos 2441), also known as Persona No.1, was a Russian optical reconnaissance satellite launched in 2008. The first Persona satellite, it failed a few months into its mission, which was scheduled to have lasted three to five years. It was the first Russian reconnaissance satellite to be placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit.[3]
 Artist's impression of a Persona satellite | |
| Mission type | Reconnaissance |
|---|---|
| Operator | VKS |
| COSPAR ID | 2008-037A |
| SATCAT no. | 33272 |
| Mission duration | 3-5 years (planned) ~2 months (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Persona |
| Manufacturer | TsSKB Progress LOMO Vavilov State Optical Institute NPO Opteks |
| Launch mass | ~7,000 kilograms (15,000 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 July 2008, 18:31:36 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz-2-1b |
| Launch site | Plesetsk 43/4 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | ~September 2008 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous |
| Perigee altitude | 714 kilometres (444 mi)[2] |
| Apogee altitude | 732 kilometres (455 mi)[2] |
| Inclination | 98.3 degrees[2] |
| Epoch | 31 July 2008[2] |
Kosmos 2441 was launched by a Soyuz-2-1b carrier rocket flying from Site 43/4 of the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch took place at 18:31:36 UTC on 26 July 2008,[4] and marked the first Soyuz-2-1b launch from Plesetsk. Following its successful deployment the satellite was given its Kosmos designation, and was assigned the International Designator 2008-037A and Satellite Catalog Number 33272.[5]
In February 2009, it was reported that Kosmos 2441 had failed shortly after launch.[6] The date of the failure was not announced, however the satellite was last seen to manoeuvre in September 2008.[7] The cause of the failure was reported to be an electrical problem, possibly caused by higher radiation levels encountered by the satellite in sun-synchronous orbit compared to previous satellites in lower-inclination orbits.[6] The next Persona satellite was not launched until 2013, when it was placed into orbit as Kosmos 2486.[8]
References edit
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Persona (14F137)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d McDowell, Jonathan (12 August 2008). "Issue 598". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Podvig, Pavel (26 July 2008). "Launch of Cosmos-2441 - first Persona optical reconnaissance satellite". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. RussianForces.org.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ a b Zak, Anatoly. "Persona (14F137) spy satellite". RussianSpaceWeb. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Podvig, Pavel (13 February 2009). "Persona satellite failure". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. RussianForces.org. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Podvig, Pavel (7 June 2013). "Launch of Cosmos-2486 - Persona optical reconnaissance satellite". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. RussianForces.org. Retrieved 29 June 2013.