Kosmos 959

Kosmos 959 (Russian: Космос 959 meaning Cosmos 959) was a satellite which was used as a target for tests of anti-satellite weapons. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1977 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme,[1] and used as a target for Kosmos 961, as part of the Istrebitel Sputnik programme.[2]

Kosmos 959
Mission typeASAT target
COSPAR ID1977-101A
SATCAT no.10419
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeLira
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass650 kilograms (1,430 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date21 October 1977, 10:05 (1977-10-21UTC10:05Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-3M
Launch sitePlesetsk 132/1
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude146 kilometres (91 mi)
Apogee altitude850 kilometres (530 mi)
Inclination65.8 degrees
Period94.6 minutes
 

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket,[3] from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch occurred at 10:05 UTC on 21 October 1977.[4]

Kosmos 959 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 146 kilometres (91 mi), an apogee of 850 kilometres (530 mi), 65.8 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 94.6 minutes.[1] It was successfully intercepted by Kosmos 961, as part of a non-destructive test. Following this, it decayed from orbit on 30 November 1977.[2][5]

Kosmos 959 was the sixth of ten Lira satellites to be launched,[1] of which all but the first were successful. Lira was derived from the earlier DS-P1-M satellite, which it replaced.

See also

References
  1. Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-M". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  2. Wade, Mark. "IS-A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  4. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 3 June 2009.


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