Kosmos 487

Summary

Kosmos 487 (Russian: Космос 487 meaning Cosmos 487), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.57, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1972 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]

Kosmos 487
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1972-033A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.06006Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date21 April 1972, 11:59:59 (1972-04-21UTC11:59:59Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date24 September 1972 (1972-09-25)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude262 kilometres (163 mi)
Apogee altitude468 kilometres (291 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.8 minutes
 

Kosmos 487 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit at 11:59:59 UTC on 21 April 1972.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1972-033A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 06006.

Kosmos 487 was the fifty-third of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the forty-eighth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 262 kilometres (163 mi), an apogee of 468 kilometres (291 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.8 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 24 September 1972.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 487". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.