Kosmos 526

Kosmos 526
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1972-084A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.06254Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date25 October 1972, 10:39:57 (1972-10-25UTC10:39:57Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date8 April 1973 (1973-04-09)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude264 kilometres (164 mi)
Apogee altitude461 kilometres (286 mi)
Inclination70.9 degrees
Period91.8 minutes

Kosmos 526 (Russian: Космос 526 meaning Cosmos 526), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.61, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1972 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]

Kosmos 526 was successfully launched into low Earth orbit at 10:39:57 UTC on 25 October 1972.[2] The launch took place from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[3] and used a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1972-084A.[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 06254.

Kosmos 526 was the fifty-ninth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the fifty-third 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 461 kilometres (286 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.8 minutes.[6] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 8 April 1973.[6]

  1. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  2. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Cosmos 526". NSSDC Master Catalog. US National Space Science Data Center. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 31 August 2009.