Kosmos 481

Kosmos 481 (Russian: Космос 481 meaning Cosmos 481), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.46, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1972 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 375-kilogram (827 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 481
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1972-020A
SATCAT no.05906
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass375 kilograms (827 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date25 March 1972, 10:39:59 (1972-03-25UTC10:39:59Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date2 September 1972 (1972-09-03)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude262 kilometres (163 mi)
Apogee altitude478 kilometres (297 mi)
Inclination71 degrees
Period92 minutes
 

Launch

Kosmos 481 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit at 10:39:59 UTC on 25 March 1972.[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 1972-020A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 05906.

Kosmos 481 was the fifty-first of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the forty-sixth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 262 kilometres (163 mi), an apogee of 478 kilometres (297 mi), 71 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 92 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 2 September 1972.[6]

See also

References
  1. Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  2. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  4. "Cosmos 481". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  5. Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  6. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 August 2009.


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