Sputnik 40

Sputnik 40 (Russian: Спутник 40, French: Spoutnik 40), also known as Sputnik Jr,[5] PS-2[3] and Radio Sputnik 17 (RS-17),[1] was a Franco-Russian amateur radio satellite which was launched in 1997 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite.[6] A 4-kilogram (8.8 lb)[1] one-third scale model of Sputnik 1,[7] Sputnik 40 was deployed from the Mir space station on 3 November 1997.[3] Built by students, the spacecraft was constructed at the Polytechnic Laboratory of Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria, whilst its transmitter was assembled by Jules Reydellet College in Réunion with technical support from AMSAT-France.

Sputnik 40
Mission typeAmateur radio
OperatorAéro-Club de France
AMSAT
Rosaviakosmos
COSPAR ID1997-058C
SATCAT no.24958
Mission duration1-2 months
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass4 kilograms (8.8 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date5 October 1997, 15:08:57 (1997-10-05UTC15:08:57Z) UTC[2]
RocketSoyuz-U
Launch siteBaikonur 1/5
Deployed fromMir
Deployment date3 November 1997, 04:05 UTC[3]
End of mission
Last contact29 December 1997 (1997-12-30)
Decay date21 May 1998
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude376 kilometres (234 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude382 kilometres (237 mi)[4]
Inclination51.6 degrees[4]
Epoch4 November 1997
 

Launch

Sputnik 40 was launched, along with a backup spacecraft and the X-Mir inspection satellite, aboard Progress M-36 at 15:08 UTC on 5 October 1997.[2] A Soyuz-U carrier rocket placed the spacecraft into orbit, flying from 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan: the same launch pad used by Sputnik 1.[2] Progress M-36 docked to Mir on 8 October,[8] and the satellites were transferred to the space station. At 04:05 UTC on 3 November,[3] during an extra-vehicular activity, Sputnik 40 was deployed by cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev and Pavel Vinogradov.[9]

Orbit

On 4 November, the day after it was deployed, Sputnik 40 was in a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 376 kilometres (234 mi), an apogee of 382 kilometres (237 mi), an inclination of 51.6 degrees, and a period of 92.13 minutes.[4] The satellite was given the International Designator 1997-058C, and was catalogued by the United States Space Command as 24958.[10] It ceased operations on 29 December 1997 when its batteries expired,[11][12] and subsequently decayed from orbit on 21 May 1998.[4] The backup satellite remained aboard Mir, and was destroyed when Mir was deorbited on 23 March 2001.[1]

See also

References
  1. Krebs, Gunter. "Sputnik 40, 41, 99 (RS 17, 18, 19)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan (5 November 1997). "Issue 339". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  5. "Sputnik Jr". N2YO. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  6. "Spoutnik 40 (RS-17)". AMSAT-France. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  7. Wade, Mark. "PS Model". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  8. Wade, Mark. "Progress-M". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  9. Wade, Mark. "Mir". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  10. "SPACEWARN Activities, SPX-529". NASA. 1 December 1997. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  11. "Sputnik: First Artificial Satellite". 30 August 1997. Archived from the original on 5 December 2006.
  12. "Tiny Beeping Model Tossed From Station". Space Today Online. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
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