Kosmos 348

Kosmos 348 (Russian: Космос 348 meaning Cosmos 348), also known as DS-U2-GK No.2, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1970 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 357-kilogram (787 lb) spacecraft,[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to study the density of air in the upper atmosphere, and investigate aurorae.[1]

Kosmos 348
Mission typeAeronomy
Auroral
COSPAR ID1970-044A
SATCAT no.04413Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-U2-GK
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass357 kilograms (787 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date13 June 1970, 04:59:57 (1970-06-13UTC04:59:57Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date25 July 1970 (1970-07-26)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude199 kilometres (124 mi)
Apogee altitude589 kilometres (366 mi)
Inclination71 degrees
Period92.4 minutes
 

Launch

A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 348 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[2] with liftoff occurring at 04:59:57 UTC on 13 June 1970. Kosmos 348 was successfully inserted into orbit.[3] On reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation and received the International Designator 1970-044A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 04413.

Orbit

Kosmos 348 was the second of two DS-U2-GK satellites to be launched.[1][5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 199 kilometres (124 mi), an apogee of 589 kilometres (366 mi), 71 degrees of inclination and an orbital period of 92.4 minutes. It decayed from orbit within a few weeks of its launch, re-entering the atmosphere on 25 July 1970.[6]

References
  1. Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-GK". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  3. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  4. "Cosmos 348". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  5. Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-GK". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  6. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 December 2009.


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