Kosmos 31

Kosmos 31 (Russian: Космос 31 meaning Cosmos 31), also known as DS-MT No.2 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1964 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. Its primary mission was to demonstrate an electric gyrodyne orientation system.[3] It also carried a scientific research package as a secondary payload, which was used to study cosmic rays.[3]

Kosmos 31
Mission typeTechnology
Cosmic ray
OperatorVNIIEM
COSPAR ID1964-028A
SATCAT no.00803
Mission duration136 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-MT
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kg [1]
Start of mission
Launch date6 June 1964, 06:00:00 GMT
RocketKosmos-2I 63S1
Launch siteKapustin Yar, Mayak-2
End of mission
Decay date20 October 1964
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric [2]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude222 km
Apogee altitude492 km
Inclination49.0°
Period91.6 minutes
Epoch6 juin 1964
 

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket[4] from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 06:00 GMT on 6 June 1964.[5]

Kosmos 31 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 222 kilometres (138 mi), an apogee of 492 kilometres (306 mi), 49.0° of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.6 minutes. It decayed from orbit on 20 October 1964.[6] Kosmos 31 was the second of three DS-MT satellites to be launched. The first, DS-MT No.1, was lost in a launch failure on 1 June 1963, and the third will be Kosmos 51, which will be launched on 9 December 1964.[7]

See also

References
  1. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1964-028A - 27 February 2020
  2. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1964-028A - 27 February 2020
  3. Wade, Mark. "DS-MT". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  5. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  6. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  7. Wade, Mark. "DS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
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