Kosmos 558
Kosmos 558 (Russian: Космос 558 meaning Cosmos 558), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.65, was a Soviet satellite, which was launched in 1973 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 400-kilogram (880 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]
| Mission type | ABM radar target |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1973-029A |
| SATCAT no. | 06645 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-P1-Yu |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 400 kilograms (880 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 17 May 1973, 13:19:58 UTC |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Plesetsk 133/1 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 22 December 1973 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 264 kilometres (164 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 477 kilometres (296 mi) |
| Inclination | 70.9 degrees |
| Period | 92 minutes |
Launch
Kosmos 558 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit at 13:19:58 UTC on 17 May 1973.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket.
Orbit
Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation and received the International Designator 1973-029A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 06645.
Kosmos 558 was the sixty-second of seventy-nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the fifty-sixth of seventy-two to successfully reach orbit.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 264 kilometres (164 mi), an apogee of 477 kilometres (296 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 92 minutes.[6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 22 December 1973.[6]
See also
References
- Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- "Cosmos 558". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.