| Mission type | Magnetosphere |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1966-117A |
| SATCAT no. | 02627 |
| Mission duration | 142 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-U2-D |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 295 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 21 December 1966 13:11:59 GMT |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63S1 |
| Launch site | Kapustin Yar, Site 86/1 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 12 May 1967 |
| Decay date | 23 November 1967 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 219 km |
| Apogee altitude | 1718 km |
| Inclination | 48.8° |
| Period | 104.3 minutes |
| Epoch | 21 December 1966 |
Kosmos 137 (Russian: Космос 137 meaning Cosmos 137), also known as DS-U2-D No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1966 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 295 kilograms (650 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to investigate charged particles in the Earth's magnetosphere.[3]
A Kosmos-2I 63S1 carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 137 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar.[4] The launch occurred at 13:11:59 GMT on 21 December 1966, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.[5] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1966-117A. The North American Air Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 02627.[1]
Kosmos 137 was the first of two DS-U2-D satellites to be launched,[3] and was followed by Kosmos 219 (26 April 1968).[6] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 219 kilometres (136 mi), an apogee of 1,718 kilometres (1,068 mi), an inclination of 48.8°, and an orbital period of 104.3 minutes.[2] It completed operations on 12 May 1967,[7] before decaying from orbit and reentering the atmosphere on 23 November 1967.[8]
- ^ a b "Cosmos 137: Display 1966-117A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "Cosmos 137: Trajectory 1966-117A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ a b Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-D". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-D". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ "World Civil Satellites 1957-2006". Space Security Index. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
