Kosmos 334 (Russian: Космос 334 meaning Cosmos 334), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.31, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1970 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]

Kosmos 334
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1970-033A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.04378Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date23 April 1970, 13:20:00 (1970-04-23UTC13:20Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date9 August 1970 (1970-08-10)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude259 kilometres (161 mi)
Apogee altitude430 kilometres (270 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.4 minutes

Launch

edit

Kosmos 334 was launched from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[2] atop a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 23 April 1970 at 13:20:00 UTC, and resulted in the successful deployment of Kosmos 334 into low Earth orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1970-033A.[4]

Orbit

edit

Kosmos 334 was the thirty-first of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the twenty-ninth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 259 kilometres (161 mi), an apogee of 430 kilometres (270 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.4 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 9 August 1970.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  3. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 334". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 14 August 2009.