Etalon-1 and Etalon-2 are geodetic satellites. They are designed to determine, with high accuracy, terrestrial reference frame and Earth rotation parameters, to improve the gravity field, and to improve the gravitational constant. Each satellite is a high-density passive laser reflector in a very stable medium Earth orbit (MEO).[3]

Etalon-1
Mission typeGeodesy
COSPAR ID1989-001C
SATCAT no.19751
Start of mission
Launch date10 January 1989, 02:05 (1989-01-10UTC02:05Z) UTC[1]
Launch siteBaikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeMedium Earth
Eccentricity0.0021819
Inclination64.1497 degrees
Period675.56 minutes
Epoch25 July 2018, 18:51:56 UTC
Etalon-2
Mission typeGeodesy
COSPAR ID1989-039C
SATCAT no.20026
Start of mission
Launch date31 May 1989, 08:31 (1989-05-31UTC08:31Z) UTC[2]
Launch siteBaikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeMedium Earth
Eccentricity0.0017121
Inclination65.2335 degrees
Period675.41 minutes
Epoch25 July 2018, 18:59:47 UTC

References

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  1. ^ "Kosmos-1989 - Satellite Information". www.heavens-above.com.
  2. ^ "Kosmos-2024 - Satellite Information". www.heavens-above.com.
  3. ^ "Etalon-1 and -2". International Laser Ranging Service.