Kosmos 1285

Kosmos 1285 (Russian: Космос 1285 meaning Cosmos 1285) was a Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 1981 as part of the Soviet military's Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]

Kosmos 1285
Mission typeEarly warning
COSPAR ID1981-071A
SATCAT no.12627
Mission duration4 years [1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeUS-K[2]
Launch mass1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date4 August 1981, 00:13 (1981-08-04UTC00:13Z) UTC
RocketMolniya-M/2BL[2]
Launch sitePlesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3]
End of mission
Deactivated21 November 1981[1]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeMolniya [2]
Perigee altitude622 kilometres (386 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude40,204 kilometres (24,982 mi)[4]
Inclination63.0 degrees[4]
Period727.37 minutes[4]
 

Kosmos 1285 was launched from Site 16/2 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Russian SSR.[3] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 00:13 UTC on 4 August 1981.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1981-071A.[4] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 12627.[4]

Kosmos 1285 was a US-K satellite like Kosmos 862 that self-destructed in orbit, NASA believe deliberately. 1285 was placed in a temporary transfer orbit on the day of launch by its launch vehicle but never maneuvered to an operational orbit. This suggests an early fatal spacecraft malfunction.[5] All of its trackable debris is still in orbit.[6]

See also

References
  1. Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10 (1): 21–60. Bibcode:2002S&GS...10...21P. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. S2CID 122901563. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-15.
  2. "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  5. Anz-Meador, Phillip (December 2022). History of On-orbit Satellite Fragmentations, 16th edition (PDF). NASA. p. 194. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  6. "Cosmos 1285 tracking". Retrieved 2 June 2023.


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