 Ground-based telescope image of Kosmos 1408 debris (circled objects), captured on 15 November 2021 | |
| Names | Космос-1408 Ikar No. 39L |
|---|---|
| Mission type | ELINT |
| COSPAR ID | 1982-092A |
| SATCAT no. | 13552 |
| Mission duration | 6 months (planned)[1] 2 years (achieved)[2] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Ikar No. 39L [3] |
| Spacecraft type | ELINT |
| Bus | Tselina-D |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye Design Office |
| Launch mass | 1,750 kg (3,860 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 September 1982, 04:55 UTC |
| Rocket | Tsyklon-3 |
| Launch site | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 32/2 |
| Contractor | Yuzhmash |
| End of mission | |
| Declared | 1984 |
| Destroyed | 15 November 2021 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 465 km (289 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 490 km (300 mi) |
| Inclination | 82.60° |
| Period | 93.00 minutes |
Kosmos Series | |
Kosmos-1408 (Russian: Космос-1408) was an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) satellite operated by the Soviet Union. It was launched into low Earth orbit on 16 September 1982 at 14:55 UTC, replacing Kosmos-1378. It operated for around two years before becoming inactive and left in orbit.
The satellite was destroyed in a Russian anti-satellite weapon test on 15 November 2021, resulting in space debris in orbits between 300 and 1,100 km (190 and 680 mi) above Earth. The threat of potential collision with debris caused the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter in their escape capsules for the first few passes of the debris cloud, and increased the future risk of a debris collision with the ISS or other satellites.