Kosmos 259

Kosmos 259 (Russian: Космос 259 meaning Cosmos 259), also known as DS-U2-I No.3, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft,[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to study the effects on radio waves of passing through the ionosphere.[1]

Kosmos 259
Mission typeIonospheric
COSPAR ID1968-113A
SATCAT no.03612
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-U2-I
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date14 December 1968, 05:09:54 (1968-12-14UTC05:09:54Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch siteKapustin Yar 86/4
End of mission
Decay date5 May 1969 (1969-05-06)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude212 kilometres (132 mi)
Apogee altitude1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
Inclination48.4 degrees
Period99 minutes
 

A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 259 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/4 at Kapustin Yar.[2] The launch occurred at 05:09:54 UTC on 14 December 1968, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-113A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 03612.

Kosmos 259 was the third and final DS-U2-I satellite to be launched.[1][5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 212 kilometres (132 mi), an apogee of 1,210 kilometres (750 mi), 48.4 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 99 minutes.[6] On 5 May 1969, it decayed from orbit and reentered the atmosphere.[6]

See also

References
  1. Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-I". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  3. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  4. "Cosmos 259". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  5. Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-I". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  6. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.


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