Kosmos 455 (Russian: Космос 455 meaning Cosmos 455), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.54, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 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 455
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1971-097A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.05608Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date17 November 1971, 11:09:48 (1971-11-17UTC11:09:48Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date9 April 1972 (1972-04-10)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude266 kilometres (165 mi)
Apogee altitude468 kilometres (291 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.9 minutes
 

Launch edit

Kosmos 455 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit on 17 November 1971, with the rocket lifting off at 11:09:48 UTC.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket.

Orbit edit

Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-097A.[4]

Kosmos 455 was the forty-seventh of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the forty-second of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 266 kilometres (165 mi), an apogee of 468 kilometres (291 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.9 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 9 April 1972.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 455". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.