Kosmos 461 | |
Mission Type: | Astronomy Micrometeoroids |
Cospar Id: | 1971-105A |
Spacecraft Type: | DS-U2-MT |
Manufacturer: | Yuzhnoye |
Launch Date: | UTC |
Launch Rocket: | Kosmos-3M |
Launch Site: | Plesetsk 132/1 |
Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
Orbit Regime: | Low Earth |
Orbit Inclination: | 69.2 degrees |
Orbit Period: | 94.55 minutes |
Apsis: | gee |
Kosmos 461 (ru|Космос 461 meaning Cosmos 461), also known as DS-U2-MT No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 680kg (1,500lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to investigate micrometeoroids and conduct gamma ray astronomy.[1]
A Kosmos-3M carrier rocket, serial number 47119-109, was used to launch Kosmos 461 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.[2] The launch occurred at 17:30:00 UTC on 2 December 1971, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[3]
Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-105A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 05643.
Kosmos 461 was the only DS-U2-MT satellite to be launched.[1] [5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of, an apogee of, 69.2 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 94.55 minutes. It completed operations on 14 December 1972,[6] before decaying from orbit and reentering the atmosphere on 21 February 1979.[7]