Kosmos 68

Kosmos 68
Mission type Optical imaging
COSPAR ID 1965-046A
SATCAT № 1404
Mission duration 8 days[1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Zenit-2
Manufacturer OKB-1
Launch mass 4,730.0 kilograms (10,427.9 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date 15 June 1965, 10:04 (1965-06-15UTC10:04Z) UTC[2]
Rocket Vostok-2
Launch site Baikonur 31/6
End of mission
Disposal Recovered
Landing date 23 June 1965 (1965-06-24)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 200 kilometres (120 mi)
Apogee 319 kilometres (198 mi)
Inclination 65 degrees
Period 89.69 minutes
Epoch 17 June 1965[3]

Kosmos 68 (Russian: Космос 68 meaning Cosmos 68) or Zenit-2 No.29 was a Soviet optical film-return reconnaissance satellite launched in 1965. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 68 was the twenty-eighth of eighty-one such satellites to be launched[4][5] and had a mass of 4,730.0 kilograms (10,427.9 lb).[1]

Kosmos 68 was launched by a Vostok-2 rocket, serial number U15001-01,[6] flying from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch took place at 10:04 UTC on 15 June 1965,[2] and following its successful arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its Kosmos designation; along with the International Designator 1965-046A and the Satellite Catalog Number 1404.[1]

Kosmos 68 was operated in a low Earth orbit; at an epoch of 17 June 1965 it had a perigee of 200 kilometres (120 mi), an apogee of 319 kilometres (198 mi) inclination of 65 degrees and an orbital period of 89.7 minutes. On 23 June 1965, after eight days in orbit, the satellite was deorbited with its return capsule descending by parachute for recovery.[3][5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Cosmos 68". National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  4. Krebs, Gunter. "Zenit-2 (11F61)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  5. 1 2 Wade, Mark. "Zenit-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  6. Wade, Mark. "Vostok 8A92". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/4/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.