June-September 1981:satellite digest

Cosmos 1237

1981 Jan 6.51

Cylinder+sphere:6 long, 2.4 dia

194

385

72.88

90.36

Plesetsk

1981-1A

14 days (R)

1981 Jan 20

A-2

USSR/USSR (1)

Molniya-3 (14)

1981 Jan 9.62

Cylinder-cone:4.2 long,1.6 dia

436

39920

62.81

718.49

Plesetsk

1981-2A

12 years

A-2-e

USSR/USSR (2)

Cosmos 1238

1981 Jan 16.37

Cylinder:2 long,2 dia

Plesetsk

1981-3A

30 years

404

1956

82.98

109.05

C-1

USSR/USSR

Cosmos 1239

1981 Jan 16.50

Cylinder+sphere:6 long, 2.4 dia

Plesetsk

1981-4A

12 days (R)

1981 Jan 29

213

234

82.34

89.04

A-2

USSR/USSR

Cosmos 1240

1981 Jan 20.46

Cylinder+sphere:6 long,2.4 dia

Tyuratam

1981-5A

28 days (R)

1981 Feb 17

167

361

64.90

89.80

A-2

USSR/USSR (3)

Cosmos 1241

1981 Jan 21.35

Cylinder:2 long,2 dia

Plesetsk

1981-6A

1200 years

976

1010

65.82

104.98

C-1

USSR/USSR (4)

Progress 12

1981 Jan 24.5

Sphere+cone+cylinder:8 long,2.2 dia

Tyuratam

1981-7A

3 months

294

319

51.62

90.59

A-2

USSR/USSR (5)

Cosmos 1242

1981 Jan 27.6

Cylinder+2 panels:5 long,2 dia

Plesetsk

1981-8A

60 years

625

655

81.18

97.59

A-1

USSR/USSR (6)

Molniya-1 (49)

1981 Jan 30.68

Cylinder-cone:4.2 long,1.6 dia

428

40806

62.85

735.63

Plesetsk

1981-9A

12 years

A-2-e

USSR/USSR (7)

Cosmos 1243

1981 Feb 2.09

Cylinder

Tyuratam

1981-10A

2 orbits

248

1015

65.82

97.85

F-1-m

USSR/USSR (8)

Intercosmos 21

1981 Feb 6.38

Octagonal ellipsoid:2 long, 2 dia

Plesetsk

1981-11A

6 years

473

514

74.04

94.53

C-1

USSR/USSR (9)

Kiku 3

1981 Feb 11.35

Cylinder:2.8 long,2 dia

258

36253

28.61

641.28

indefinite

1981-12A

Tanegashima

N-2

Japan/Japan (10)

Cosmos 1244

1981 Feb 12.77

Cylinder:2 long,1.5 dia

685

1009

82.25

104.89

700 years

Plesetsk

1981-13A

C-1

USSR/USSR (11)

Cosmos 1245

1981 Feb 13.47

Cylinder+sphere:6 long,2.4 dia

185

377

72.84

90.29

Plesetsk

1981-14A

14 days (R)

1981 Feb 28

A-2

USSR/USSR (12)

Cosmos 1246

1981 Feb 18.3

Cylinder+sphere:6 long,2.4 dia

Tyuratam

198I-15A

23 days (R)

1981 Mar 11

195

265

64.88

89.11

A-2

USSR/USSR (13)

Cosmos 1247

1981 Feb 19.4

Cylinder-cone:4 long,1.6 dia

Plesetsk

1981-16A

39231

39734

62.93

716.35

indefinite

A-2-e

USSR/USSR (14)

Hinoturi

1981 Feb 29.4

Cylinder:2 long,1 dia

Kagoshima

1981-17A

50 years

573

639

31.35

96.70

Mu-3S

Japan/Japan (15)

Comstar 1-D4

1981 Feb 21.974

Cylinder:6.1 long,2.5 dia

ESMR

1981-18A

indefinite

35385

35788

0.20

1425.80

Atlas Centaur

Comsat/NASA (16)

OPS 7246

1981 Feb 28.7

Cylinder:15 long,3 dia

WSMR

1981-19A

134

332

96.38

89.22

Titan 3-D

DoD/USAF (17)

Cosmos 1248

1981 Mar 5.63

Cylinder+sphere:6 long,2.4 dia

Plesetsk

1981-20A

171

345

67.14

89.62

25 years

A-2

USSR/USSR (18)

Cosmos 1249

1981 Mar 5.82

Cylinder:6 long,2 dia

Tyuratam

1981-21A

251

264

64.99

89.66

10 years

F-1

USSR/USSR (19)

Cosmos 1250-1257

1981 Mar 6.48

Spheroids:0.8 long,0.5 dia

1391

1472

74.03

114.52

Plesetsk

5,000 years

1980-22A - W

C-1

USSR/USSR (20)

Soyuz-T 4

1981 Mar 12.792

Sphere+cone+cylinder+2 wings:7 long,2.2 dia

316

350

51.61

90.06

4 months

Tyuratam

1981-23A

A-2

USSR/USSR (21)

Cosmos 1258

1981 Mar 14.70

Cylinder

Tyuratam

1981-24A

2 orbits

301

1024

65.83

97.99

F-1-m

USSR/USSR (22)

Supplementary notes:

(1) Orbital data are at 1981 Jan 6.5 and January 7.2.

(2) USSR communications satellite. Orbital data are at 1981 Jan 9.7 and Jan 16.3.

(3) Manoeuvrable reconnaissance satellite.

(4) Target for Cosmos 1243 in test of the USSR's satellite interception system.

(5) Unmanned ferry carrying supplies to Salyut 6. Progress 12 docked with the space laboratory at Jan 26.664. On Jan 28/29,Progress 12 raised the orbit of Salyut 6 to 348 x 360 km,91.56min. Orbital data are at 1981 Jan 24.8. Jan 25.0 and Jan 27.2.

(6) Probably an electronic ferret.

(7) USSR communications satellite.

(8) Cosmos 1243 was a test of a satellite interceptor, using Cosmos 1241 as its target. The interception was made at the beginning of the third orbit of Cosmos 1243,which then manoeuvred into a re-entry trajectory.

(9) Scientific satellite built and launched by the USSR, but also carrying equipment built by Czechoslovakia, East Germany,Hungary and Romania. The satellite is studying the Earth's surface and the oceans.

(10) Technical experimental satellite carrying a plasma engine and other test equipment.

(11) Navigation satellite

(12) Orbital data are at 1981 Feb 13.5, Feb 14.6 and Feb 15.0

(13) Manoeuvrable reconnaissance satellite

(14) Probably the first in a new phase of early warning satellites. Orbital data are at 1981 Feb 20.0 and Mar 3.4.

(15) Scientific satellite carrying an X-ray telescope and a spectrograph for solar studies.

(16) Communications satellite owned by COMSAT. It is intended to be stationed at 127 degrees west longitude.

(17) US ‘Big Bird’ reconnaissance satellite.

(18) Manoeuvrable reconnaissance satellite.

(19) Radar carrying ocean survey satellite powered by a nuclear reactor.

(20) Multiple launch of small communications satellites

(21) Manned spacecraft carrying Vladimir Kovalyonok and Viktor Savinikh to Salyut 6, in preparation for further flights of international crews. Soyuz-T 4 docked with Salyut 6 at 1981 Mar 13.86.

(22) Test of an interceptor satellite.