Kosmos 408 (Russian: Космос 408 meaning Cosmos 408), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.37, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 250-kilogram (550 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 408
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1971-037A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.05177Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass250 kilograms (550 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date24 April 1971, 11:15:02 (1971-04-24UTC11:15:02Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date29 December 1971 (1971-12-30)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude197 kilometres (122 mi)
Apogee altitude1,383 kilometres (859 mi)
Inclination81.8 degrees
Period100.66 minutes
 

Launch edit

Kosmos 408 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit on 24 April 1971, with the rocket lifting off at 11:15:02 UTC.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket.

Orbit edit

Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-037A.[4]

Kosmos 408 was the forty-first of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the thirty-seventh of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 197 kilometres (122 mi), an apogee of 1,383 kilometres (859 mi), 81.8 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 100.66 minutes.[1][6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 29 December 1971.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 408". 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. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 15 August 2009.