Kosmos 421

Kosmos 421 (Russian: Космос 421 meaning Cosmos 421), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.48, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]

Kosmos 421
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1971-044A
SATCAT no.05232
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date19 May 1971, 10:20:00 (1971-05-19UTC10:20Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date8 November 1971 (1971-11-09)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude266 kilometres (165 mi)
Apogee altitude445 kilometres (277 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.65 minutes
 

Launch

Kosmos 421 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit on 19 May 1971, with the rocket lifting-off at 10:20:00 UTC.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket.

Orbit

Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-044A.[4]

Kosmos 421 was the forty-second of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the thirty-eighth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 266 kilometres (165 mi), an apogee of 445 kilometres (277 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.65 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 8 November 1971.[6]

See also

References
  1. Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  2. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  4. "Cosmos 421". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  5. Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  6. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2009.


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