Kosmos 245

Kosmos 245 (Russian: Космос 245 meaning Cosmos 245), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.16, was a Soviet satellite which was used as a radar calibration target for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. It was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[1] It had a mass of 325 kilograms (717 lb).[1]

Kosmos 245

Mission type	ABM radar target
COSPAR ID	1968-083A
SATCAT no.	03457
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	DS-P1-Yu
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoye
Launch mass	325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	3 October 1968, 12:58:59 (1968-10-03UTC12:58:59Z) UTC
Rocket	Kosmos-2I 63SM
Launch site	Plesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date	15 January 1969 (1969-01-16)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	260 kilometres (160 mi)
Apogee altitude	443 kilometres (275 mi)
Inclination	70.9 degrees
Period	91.6 minutes

Kosmos 245 was launched from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[2] atop a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 3 October 1968 at 12:58:59 UTC, and resulted in Kosmos 245's successful deployment into low Earth orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-083A.

Kosmos 245 was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 260 kilometres (160 mi), an apogee of 443 kilometres (275 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.6 minutes.[1][4] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 15 January 1969.[4] It was the sixteenth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the fifteenth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5]