Kosmos 120

Kosmos 120 (Russian: Космос 120 meaning Cosmos 120) or Zenit-2 No.41 was a Soviet, first generation, low resolution, optical film-return reconnaissance satellite launched in 1966. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 120 was the thirty-ninth of eighty-one such satellites to be launched [4][5] and had a mass of 4,730 kilograms (10,430 lb).

Kosmos 120 was launched by a Voskhod 11A57 serial number N15001-13 carrier rocket,[6] flying from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch took place at 11:02 GMT on 8 June 1966,[7] and following its successful arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its Kosmos designation; along with the International Designator 1966-050A and the Satellite Catalog Number 02196.[1] This was the first time a Voskhod had been used to launch a Zenit-2 satellite; previous launches had used Vostok-2 rockets while the Voskhod was typically used to launch Zenit-4 spacecraft.[8]

Kosmos 120 was operated in a low Earth orbit, at an epoch of 8 June 1966, it had a perigee of 205 kilometres (127 mi), an apogee of 285 kilometres (177 mi), an inclination of 51.8° and an orbital period of 89.4 minutes.[2] After eight days in orbit, Kosmos 120 was deorbited, with its return capsule descending under parachute, landing at 09:36 GMT on 16 June 1966, and recovered by Soviet force.[3]