Kosmos 839 (Russian: Космос 839 meaning Cosmos 839) was a satellite which was used as a target for tests of anti-satellite weapons. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1976 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme,[1] and used as a target for Kosmos 843 as part of the Istrebitel Sputnikov programme.[2]
| Mission type | ASAT target |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1976-067A |
| SATCAT no. | 09011 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Lira |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 650 kilograms (1,430 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 8 July 1976, 21:08 UTC |
| Rocket | Kosmos-3M |
| Launch site | Plesetsk 132/1 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 915 kilometres (569 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,053 kilometres (1,276 mi) |
| Inclination | 65.9 degrees |
| Period | 115.6 minutes |
It was launched aboard a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket,[3] from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch occurred at 21:08 UTC on 8 July 1976.[4]
Kosmos 839 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 915 kilometres (569 mi), an apogee of 2,053 kilometres (1,276 mi), 65.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 115.6 minutes.[1] It was successfully intercepted by Kosmos 843 on 21 July. As of 2009, debris is still in orbit.[2][5]
Kosmos 839 was the third 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
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References
edit- ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-I". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ a b Wade, Mark. "IS-A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
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