| Kosmos 381 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Mission Type: | Ionospheric science | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cospar Id: | 1970-102A | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Satcat: | 4783 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator: | Soviet space program | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mission Duration: | (in orbit) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spacecraft Bus: | KAUR-1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spacecraft Type: | Ionosfernaya | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer: | OKB-10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Date: | December 2, 1970, 04:00 UTC | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Rocket: | Kosmos-3M 11K65M | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Site: | Plesetsk 132/2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Disposal Type: | Decommissioned | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Contact: | January 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Decay Date: | ~3170 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth orbit | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Inclination: | 74° | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Period: | 104.8 minutes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Apsis: | gee | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Instruments List: |
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| Programme: | Kosmos (satellites) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Previous Mission: | Kosmos 380 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Next Mission: | Kosmos 382 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cosmos 381 (ru|Космос 381) artificial satellite provided data on the physical characteristics of the layers of the Earth's Ionosphere using a Mayak radio transmitter. The study covered almost the entire global surface.
The satellite was launched into a Low Earth Orbit by a Kosmos-3 rocket (11K65M) from the LC–132/2 starting point at Plesetsk Cosmodrome on the 2nd of December, 1970.
Orbit was 971km at periapsis and 1013km at apoapsis. Inclination 74 degrees. Decay into the Earth's atmosphere is expected after about 1,200 years.