| Mission type | Micrometeoroid research |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1967-056A |
| SATCAT no. | 02832 |
| Mission duration | 128 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-U2-MP |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 357 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 June 1967, 05:03:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Kapustin Yar, Site 86/1 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 11 October 1967 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 244 km |
| Apogee altitude | 611 km |
| Inclination | 48.4° |
| Period | 93.1 minutes |
| Epoch | 5 June 1967 |
Kosmos 163 (Russian: Космос 163 meaning Cosmos 163), also known as DS-U2-MP No.2, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1967 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 357 kilograms (787 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Office, and was used to investigate micrometeoroids and cosmic dust particles in near-Earth space.[3]
A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 163 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar.[4] The launch occurred at 05:03:00 GMT on 5 June 1967, 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 1967-056A.[1] The North American Air Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 02832.[1]
Kosmos 163 was the second of two DS-U2-MP satellites to be launched, after Kosmos 135.[5][6] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 244 kilometres (152 mi), an apogee of 611 kilometres (380 mi), an inclination of 48.4°, and an orbital period of 93.1 minutes.[2] It decayed from its orbit and reentered the atmosphere on 11 October 1967.[7]
- ^ a b c "Cosmos 163: Display 1967-056A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "Cosmos 163: Trajectory 1967-056A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "DS-U2-MP". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ a b Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-U2-MP". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
