Kosmos 2421 (Cosmos 2421) was a Russian reconnaissance satellite launched in 2006, but began fragmenting in early 2008.[1] It also had the Konus-A science payload designed by Ioffe Institute to detect gamma-ray bursts.[2] Three separate fragmentation events produced about 500 pieces of trackable debris.[1] About half of those had already re-entered Earth's atmosphere by the fall of 2008.[3]

Satellite life span

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Kosmos 2421 was launched on June 25, 2006, on a Tsyklon-2 from the Site 90/20 launch pad at Baikonur.[4] Other designations are 2006-026A and NORAD 29247.[4] It is a US-PU/Legenda type satellite, and was in a 65 degree, 93 minute circular orbit 410–430 km up.[4] The main body of the satellite finally re-entered and burned up on 19 August 2010.[5]

There have been 190 known satellite breakups between 1961 and 2006.[6] Kosmos 2421 was one of the top ten space debris producing events up to 2012.[7] There was estimated to be 500,000 pieces of debris in orbit at that time.[7]

Space station maneuver

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On August 27, 2008, the International Space Station (ISS) fired the boosters of the Jules Verne automated transfer vehicle to avoid debris fragment 33246 from the remains of Kosmos 2421.[8] Without a change, that piece was predicted to have a 1 in 72 chance of hitting the station.[8] Kosmos 2421 had been in a higher orbit than ISS, so when ISS's apogee (high point of orbit) surpassed the debris field's perigee (low point of orbit), many fragments would cross ISS's orbit.[8]


See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Orbital Debris Quarterly News - Volume 12 Issue 3
  2. ^ "US-A/P ocean-surveillance satellites". www.russianspaceweb.com. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  3. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2008-03-20). "Cosmos-2421 completed its mission". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.
  4. ^ a b c Podvig, Pavel (2006-06-25). "Launch of Cosmos-2421 naval reconnaissance satellite". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.
  5. ^ "Cosmos 2421". Archived from the original on 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  6. ^ "AN ANALYSIS OF RECENT MAJOR BREAKUPS IN THE LOW EARTH ORBIT REGION". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  7. ^ a b "DARPA wants army of networked amateur astronomers to watch sky for space junk, aliens". Stratrisks. 2012-11-14. Archived from the original on 2012-11-19.
  8. ^ a b c Orbital Debris Quarterly News - Volume 12 Issue 4
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