Kosmos 133

Kosmos 133 (Russian: Космос 133, meaning "Kosmos 133"), Soyuz 7K-OK No.2, was the first uncrewed test flight of the Soyuz spacecraft, and first mission of the Soyuz programme, as part of the Soviet space programme.

Kosmos 133
Soyuz 7K-OK spacecraft with an active docking unit.
Mission typeTest Flight
OperatorExperimental Design Bureau (OKB-1)
COSPAR ID1966-107A
SATCAT no.02601
Mission duration1 day, 23 hours and 19 minutes
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSoyuz 7K-OK No.2
Spacecraft typeSoyuz 7K-OK
ManufacturerExperimental Design Bureau (OKB-1)
Launch mass6450 kg [1]
Landing mass2500 kg
Dimensions7.13 m long
2.72 m wide
Start of mission
Launch date28 November 1966
11:02:00 GMT [2]
RocketSoyuz 11A511 s/n U15000-02
Launch siteBaikonour, Site 31/6
ContractorExperimental Design Bureau (OKB-1)
End of mission
DisposalExploded: on the self-destruct command of ground
Landing date30 November 1966, 10:21 GMT (explosed)
Landing siteKazakh Steppe of Kazakhstan (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit [2]
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude171.0 km
Apogee altitude223.0 km
Inclination51.9°
Period88.4 minutes
 

Launch

Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard the maiden flight of the Soyuz 11A511 s/n U15000-02 launch vehicle.[3] Kosmos 133 was planned "all up" test, to include an automated docking with a second Soyuz spacecraft (Soyuz 7K-OK No.1), which was scheduled for launch the day after Kosmos 133.

Mission

Kosmos 133 was operated in a low Earth orbit, on 28 November 1966, it had a perigee of 171.0 km (106.3 mi), an apogee of 223.0 km (138.6 mi), an inclination of 51.9°, and an orbital period of 88.4 minutes.[2]

Return

Problems found during ground testing of the second spacecraft resulted in its launch being delayed, and it was destroyed when its launch vehicle exploded on its launch pad following a scrubbed launch attempt in December 1966. Before this, the attitude control system (ACS) of Kosmos 133 malfunctioned, resulting in rapid consumption of orientation fuel, leaving it spinning at 2 rpm. After large efforts by ground control and 5 attempts at retrofire over two days, the craft was finally coming down for a landing. Due to the inaccuracy of the reentry burn, it was determined that the capsule would land in China. The self-destruct command was given and the satellite exploded 30 November 1966 at 10:21 GMT.[1]

The fireball passed over west Japan and was recorded by photos and a sketch. Kōichirō Tomita identified that it was the Kosmos 133 spacecraft (30 November 1966).[4]

References
  1. "Display: Kosmos 133 1966-107A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Trajectory: Kosmos 133 1966-107A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. 加茂昭, Kamo, Akira (2012). 空とぶマネキン人形 [Flying Mannequin Doll / Mannequin Cosmonaut]. Japan: Seikosha 星湖舎. ISBN 9784863720275.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.