January 1982:satellite digest

MOLNIYA-1 (50) 1981-60A

Launched: 1744, 24 Jun 1981 from Plesetsk by A-2-e.

Spacecraft data: The Molniya-1 is a cylindrical body housing instrumentation and the payload, surmounted by a conical motor section.Power is provided by a ‘windmill’ of six solar panels. Overall length is 3.6 m, the diameter 1.6 m and the mass about 1800 kg.

Mission: Replacement or backup for Molniya-1 (42), 1978-80A. The satellite helps to operate long distance telephone and telegraphic communications and broadcasts central television programmes via the Orbita system to remote areas of the Soviet Union.

Orbit: Initially a low parking orbit and then injected into a highly elliptical orbit of 617 x 40640 km, 736.13 min at 62.79 deg inclination. Later manoeuvred to 614 x 39742 km, 717.80 min, 62.85 deg inclination to give daily repetition of the ground track.

EKRAN 7 1981-61A

Launched: 2356,25 Jun 1981 from Tyuratam by D-1-e + apogee motor.

Spacecraft data: A cylinder with a pair of boom mounted solar panels and a rectangular transmitting array. Length 5 m, diameter 2 m and mass (in geostationary orbit) around 2000 kg.

Mission: To transmit programmes of Central Television to collective receiving stations in remote areas.

Orbit: Initially a low parking orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination, then to an elliptical transfer orbit at 47 deg inclination prior to injection into near stationary, equatorial orbit. Later stabilised above longitude 99 deg east (Statsionar T).

COSMOS 1279 1981-62A

Launched: 0929,1 Jul 1981 from Tyuratam by A-2.

Spacecraft data: Possibly based on Vostok manned spacecraft with spherical re-entry module, instrument unit and a cylindrical, supplementary payload at the forward end. Length about 6 m, max diameter about 2.4 m, mass around 6000 kg.

Mission: Military photo-reconnaissance, recovered after 14 days.

Orbit: Initially 210 x 362 km, 90.28 min, 70.38 deg inclination. Manoeuvered on second day to 360 x 418 km, 92.37 min, 70.41 deg. Orbit maintained by small thrusts to ensure constant spacing between equivalent ground tracks on successive days.

COSMOS 1280 1981-63A

Launched: 0709, 2 July 1981 from Plesetsk by A-2.

Spacecraft data: As Cosmos 1279.

Mission: Possibly military photo-reconnaissance, part or all of the payload was an Earth resources survey package. Recovered after 13 days.

Orbit: Injected into 256 x 273 km, 89.87 min, 82.31 deg inclination orbit.

COSMOS 1281 1981-64A

Launched: 1230, 7 Jul 1981 from Plesetsk by A-2

Spacecraft data: As Cosmos 1279.

Mission: Military photo-reconnaissance,recovered after 14 days.

Orbit: 357 x 414 km, 92.30 min, 72.84 deg,maintained by small thrusts to ensure constant spacing between equivalent ground tracks on successive days.

METEOR PRIRODA 1981-65A

Launched: 0520, 10 Jul 1981 from Tyuratam by A-1.

Spacecraft data: Cylindrical body with two Sun seeking solar panels, length about 5 m, diameter abut 1.5 m, mass about 2200 kg.

Mission: Earth resources and meteorology. The satellite carries multispectra! television scanning equipment and a three channel microwave radiometer to produce pictures. Additionally, equipment supplied by Bulgaria as part of the ‘Bulgaria 1300’ programme includes a multi channel spectrometer working in visible and near infra-red light, a single channel radiometer, and a data recording and processing computer. To ensure coverage of specific target areas, a small manoeuvring engine is also carried.

Orbit: 609 x 679 km, 97.55 min. 97.93 deg inclination. Sun synchronous.

COSMOS 1282 1981-66A

Launched: 1300, 15 July 1981 from Tyuratam by A-2.

Spacecraft data: As Cosmos 1279.

Mission: Military photo-reconnaissance, recovered after 30 days.

Orbit: Initially 172 x 334 km, 89.58 min, 64.90 deg inclination subsequently modified by maneouvres to cover specific targets.

COSMOS 1283 1981-67A

Launched: 0759,17 Jul 1981 from Plesetsk by A-2.

Spacecraft data: As Cosmos 1279.

Mission: As Cosmos 1280. Recovered after 14 days.

Orbit: Initially 181 x 260 km, 88.95 min, 82.31 deg. manoeuvred on second day to 325 x 371 km, 91.55 min, 82.35 deg. Orbit maintained by small thrusts to ensure constant spacing between equivalent ground tracks on successive days.

COSMOS 1284 1981-68A

Launched: 1154,29 Jul 1981 from Plesetsk by A-2.

Spacecraft data: As Cosmos 1279.

Mission: As Cosmos 1280. Recovered after 14 days.

Orbit: Initially 192 x 229 km, 88.75 min, 82.33 deg, then manoeuvred to325 x 370 km, 91.53 min, 82.34 deg. Orbit maintained by small thrusts to ensure constant spacing between equivalent ground tracks on successive days.

RADUGA 9 1981-69A

Launched: 2138,30 July 1981 from Tyuratam by D-1-e + apogee motor.

Spacecraft data: Cylinder with two solar panels and a transmitting and receiving array. Length 5 m, diameter 2 m, mass (in goestationary orbit) around 2000 kg.

Mission: To provide twenty-four hour telephone and telegraphic communication, and to broadcast colour and monochrome television programmes from Central Television.

Orbit: Initially, a low parking orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination, then to an elliptical transfer orbit at 47 deg inclination prior to injection into near stationary, equatorial orbit. Later stabilised above longitutde 35 deg east (Statsionar 2).

DYNAMICS EXPLORERS 1 and 2 1981-70A and B

Launched: 0955, 3 Aug 1981 from the Western Space and Missile Centre by Delta

Spacecraft data: Both craft were built by RCA Astro-Electronics for NASA and are 16 sided polygonal cylinders, covered in solar cells. Each is 1.35 m in diameter and 1.14 m in height. Dynamics Explorer 1 has a mass of 403 kg (including 105 kg of instruments) and Dynamics Explorer 2 is 415 kg (incl 111 kg of instruments). Sensors are directly attached to the body or boom-mounted.

Mission: To study the coupling of energy, electric fields and currents, and plasmas within the magnetosphere, the ionosphere and the atmosphere. Simultaneous measurements are made from two different heights. Dynamics Explorer 1 carries a fluxgate magnetometer, a plasma wave detector, a spin scan auroral imager (or radiometer), an ion mass spectrometer, an ion detector and an energetic ion mass spectrometer. Dynamics Explorer 2 carries another fluxgate magnetometer, a vector electric field detector, an atmosphere composition spectrometer, a wind and

temperature spectrometer, a Fabry-Perot interferometer, an ion drift meter and an electric potential analyser.

Orbits: Dynamics Explorer 1- 558 x 23925 km, 410.92 min, 89.91 deg. Dynamics Explorer 2 - 298 x 996 km, 97.66 min, 89.99 deg.