Kosmos 163

Kosmos 163 (Russian: Космос 163 meaning Cosmos 163), also known as DS-U2-MP No.2, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1967 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 357 kilograms (787 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Office, and was used to investigate micrometeoroids and cosmic dust particles in near-Earth space.[3]

Kosmos 163
Mission typeMicrometeoroid research
COSPAR ID1967-056A
SATCAT no.02832
Mission duration128 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-U2-MP
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass357 kg [1]
Start of mission
Launch date5 June 1967, 05:03:00 GMT
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch siteKapustin Yar, Site 86/1
ContractorYuzhnoye
End of mission
Decay date11 October 1967
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric [2]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude244 km
Apogee altitude611 km
Inclination48.4°
Period93.1 minutes
Epoch5 June 1967
 

A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 163 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar.[4] The launch occurred at 05:03:00 GMT on 5 June 1967, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[5] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1967-056A.[1] The North American Air Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 02832.[1]

Kosmos 163 was the second of two DS-U2-MP satellites to be launched, after Kosmos 135.[5][6] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 244 kilometres (152 mi), an apogee of 611 kilometres (380 mi), an inclination of 48.4°, and an orbital period of 93.1 minutes.[2] It decayed from its orbit and reentered the atmosphere on 11 October 1967.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Cosmos 163: Display 1967-056A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Cosmos 163: Trajectory 1967-056A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-MP". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  5. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  6. Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-MP". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  7. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
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