Kosmos 135 (Russian: Космос 135 meaning Cosmos 135), also known as DS-U2-MP No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1966 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 355 kilograms (783 lb) spacecraft,[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Office, and was used to investigate micrometeoroids and particles of dust in space.[3]

Kosmos 135
Mission typeMicrometeoroid research
COSPAR ID1966-112A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.02612
Mission duration121 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-U2-MP
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass355 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date12 December 1966
20:37:59 GMT[2]
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch siteKapustin Yar, Site 86/1
ContractorYuzhnoye
End of mission
Decay date12 April 1967
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric[2]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude253 km
Apogee altitude649 km
Inclination48.5°
Period93.5 minutes
Epoch12 December 1966
 

A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 135 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar.[4] The launch occurred at 20:37:59 GMT on 12 December 1966, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[5] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1966-112A. The North American Air Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 02612.[1]

Kosmos 135 was the first of two DS-U2-MP satellites to be launched, the other being Kosmos 163 (5 June 1967).[3][6] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 253 kilometres (157 mi), an apogee of 649 kilometres (403 mi), an inclination of 48.5°, and an orbital period of 93.5 minutes.[2] It decayed from its orbit and reentered in the atmosphere on 12 April 1967.[7]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Cosmos 135: Display 1966-112A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b c "Cosmos 135:Trajectory 1966-112A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-MP". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  4. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  5. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  6. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-MP". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  7. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.