February 1980:satellite digest

Cosmos 1128

1979 Sep 14.64

Cylinder + sphere: 4 long, 6 dia

Plesetsk

1979-81A

13 days (R)

1979 Sep 27

174

330

62.82

89.55

A-2

USSR/USSR

HEAO 3

1979 Sep 20.22

Hexagonal cylinder: 5.8 long, 2.4 dia

ETR

1979-82A

At least 200 years

484

500

43.60

94.38

Atlas Centaur

NASA/NASA (1)

Cosmos 1129

1979 Sep 25.65

Cylinder + sphere: 5 long, 6 dia

Plesetsk

1979-83 A

20 days (R)

1979 Oct 15

218

377

62.82

90.45

A-2

USSR/USSR (2)

Cosmos 1130-1137

1979 Sep 28.52

Spheroids?

1400

1482

74.03

114.69

Plesetsk

1979-84A

10,000 years

C-1

USSR/USSR (3)

Cosmos 1138

1979 Sep 28.52

Cylinder + sphere: 4 long, 6 dia

199

373

72.86

90.24

Plesetsk

1979-85A

14 days (R)

1979 Oct 12

A-2

USSR/USSR (4)

1979 Oct 1

ETR

1979-86A

indefinite

geostationary orbit

Titan 3C

DoD/USAF (5)

Ekran (4)

1979 Oct 3.72

Cylinder: 5 long, 2.4 dia

Tyuratam

1979-87A

indefinite

geostationary orbit

D-1-e

USSR/USSR (6)

Cosmos 1139

1979 Oct 5.48

Cylinder + sphere: 4 long, 6 dia

Plesetsk

1979-88A

13 days (R)

1979 Oct 18

201

333

72.86

89.49

A-2

USSR/USSR

Cosmos 1140

1979 Oct 11.69

Cylinder: 2 long, 2 dia

Plesetsk

1979-89A

120 years?

779

804

74.07

100.75

C-1

USSR/USSR

Cosmos 1141

1979 Oct 16.51

Cylinder-boom: 3 long, 2 dia

Plesetsk

1979-90A

1200 years?

960

1001

82.95

104.76

C-1

USSR/USSR (7)

Supplementary notes:

(1) Third, and last. High Energy Astronomical Observatory. Unlike its two predecessors, the new satellite is measuring cosmic rays and gamma rays rather than X-radiation.

(2) International co-operative biosatellite like Cosmos 782 and Cosmos 936. Contributing nations were the USSR,Czechoslovakia, France, the GDR, Hungary, Romania,Poland and the USA. The payload included experiments in radiation medicine and the development of embryos in weightlessness.

(3) Multiple launch of eight small craft, possibly for military communications. An orbit is shown for each satellite.

(4) Orbital data are at 1979 Sep 29.3 and Oct 5.0.

(5) US military satellite, possibly for early warning purposes.

(6) Domestic TV relay satellite, located above 99° east longitude.

(7) Navigation satellite.