Kosmos 5 (Russian: Космос 5 meaning Cosmos 5), also known as 2MS #2 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 15 was a scientific research and technology demonstration satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1962. It was the fifth satellite to be designated under the Kosmos system, and the third spacecraft to be launched as part of the MS programme, after Kosmos 2 and Kosmos 3. Its primary missions were to develop systems for future satellites, and to record data about artificial radiation around the Earth.[3]

Kosmos 5
Mission typeTechnology
Geophysics
Harvard designation1962 Upsilon 1
COSPAR ID1962-020A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.00297
Mission duration339 days
Spacecraft properties
Bus2MS
ManufacturerOKB-1
Launch mass280 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date28 May 1962, 03:07 GMT
RocketKosmos-2I 63S1
Launch siteKapustin Yar, Mayak-2
ContractorYuzhnoye
End of mission
Last contact9 July 1962
Decay date2 May 1963
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric[2]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude190 km
Apogee altitude1587 km
Inclination49.1°
Period102.8 minutes
Epoch28 May 1962
 

Spacecraft edit

Kosmos 5 was a 2MS satellite, the second of two to be launched,[3] following the first which was launched as Kosmos 3 on 24 April 1962. The 2MS was the second of two types of MS satellite to be launched, following the first 1MS spacecraft which had been launched as Kosmos 2. Kosmos 5 was the penultimate MS satellite to be launched, and the last to successfully reach orbit. The last launch attempt, of a 1MS satellite, occurred on 25 October 1962, and failed to reach orbit.[4] It had a mass of 280 kg.[1]

Mission edit

It was launched aboard Kosmos-2I 63S1 s/n 3LK.[5] It was the sixth flight of the Kosmos-2I, and the fourth to successfully reach orbit. The launch was conducted from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar, and occurred at 03:07:00 GMT on 28 May 1962.[6] Kosmos 5 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 190 kilometres (120 mi), an apogee of 1,587 kilometres (986 mi), an inclination of 49.1°, and an orbital period of 102.8 minutes.[2] It decayed on 2 May 1963, after nearly a year in orbit.[7]

Kosmos 5 was among several satellites inadvertently damaged or destroyed by the Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test on 9 July 1962 and subsequent radiation belt.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Cosmos 5: Display 1962-020A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b "Cosmos 5: Trajectory 1962-020A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "2MS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  4. ^ Wade, Mark. "MS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 9 March 2002. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  5. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  6. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  7. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 May 2009.