February 1981:satellite digest

GOES-4

1980 Sep 9.935

Cylinder:2.3 long, 1.9 dia

ETR

1980-74A

indefinite

35774

35800

0.19

1436.0

Delta

NOAA/NASA (1)

Soyuz 38

1980 Sep 18.799

Sphere+cone+cylinder:7.5 long, 2.2 dia

195

256

51.60

88.95

Tyuratam

1980-75A

7.883 days (R)

1980 Sep 26.662

205

293

51.62

89.45

A-2

USSR/USSR (2)

Cosmos 1210

1980 Sep 19.48

Cylinder+sphere:6 long, 2.4 dia

179

243

82.29

88.76

Plesetsk

1980-76A

14 days (R)

1980 Oct 3

A-2

USSR/USSR (3)

Cosmos 1211

1980 Sep 23.4

Sphere+cylinder:6 long,2.4 dia

Plesetsk

1980-77A

11 days (R)

1980 Oct 5

215

240

82.35

89.09

A-2

USSR/USSR (4)

Cosmos 1212

1980 Sep 26.42

Cylinder+sphere:6 long, 2.4 dia

Plesetsk

1980-78A

13 days (R)

1980 Oct 9

208

247

82.34

89.11

A-2

USSR/USSR (5)

Progress 11

1980 Sep 28.632

Sphere+cone+cylinder:8 long, 2.2 dia

189

247

51.63

88.79

Tyuratam

1980-79A

3 months

A-2

USSR/USSR (6)

Cosmos 1213

1980 Oct 3.50

Cylinder:6 long, 2 dia

Plesetsk

1980-80A

50 years

227

287

72.87

89.69

A-2

USSR/USSR (7)

Raduga 7

1980 Oct 5.71

Cylinder+2 panels: 5 long, 2 dia

Tyuratam

1980-81A

indefinite

geostationary orbit

D-1-e

USSR/USSR (8)

Cosmos 1214

1980 Oct 10.55

Cylinder+sphere:6 long, 2.4 dia

Plesetsk

1980-82A

172

345

67.15

89.70

A-2

USSR/USSR (9)

Supplementary notes:

(1) Geostationary Orbiting Environmental Satellite returning meteorological data from orbit. Its location is above 90 degrees west longitude, and the satellite is operated

by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Orbital data are at 1980 Sep 14.2 and Oct 3.2.

(2) Manned ferry vehicle carrying international crew of Yuri Romanenko and Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez to Salyut 6. Soyuz 38 docked with Salyut 6 at 2109 UT on Sep 19. Orbital data are at 1980 Sep 18.8. 18.9 and 20.0.

(3) Possibly an Earth resources sateljite. Orbital data are at 1980 Sep 19.4 and Oct 2.3.

(4) Possibly an Earth resources satellite.

(5) Possibly an Earth resources satellite. Cosmos 1212 carried out a number of very small manoeuvres during the course of its flight. Its orbit plane was very close to that of Cosmos 1211.

(6) Unmanned cargo ferry carrying supplies to Salvut 6. to enable extension of its orbital lifetime beyond the rccoverv of Sovuz 37 on Oct 11. Orbital data are at 1980 Sep 28.8 and Oct 1.2.

(7) Orbital data are at 1980 Oct 3.6 and 12.1.

(8) USSR communications satellite at the Statsionar 16 location (49 degrees east longitude), in geostationary orbit.

(9) Long life, manoeuvrable reconnaissance satellite.