| Kosmos 196 | |
| Mission Type: | Solar research |
| Cospar Id: | 1967-125A |
| Satcat: | 03074 |
| Mission Duration: | 201 days |
| Spacecraft Type: | DS-U1-G |
| Manufacturer: | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch Mass: | 352 kg |
| Launch Date: | 19 December 1967, 06:30:07 GMT |
| Launch Rocket: | Kosmos 63S1 |
| Launch Site: | Kapustin Yar, 86/1 |
| Launch Contractor: | Yuzhnoye |
| Decay Date: | 7 July 1968 |
| Orbit Epoch: | 19 December 1967 |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 223 km |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 860 km |
| Orbit Inclination: | 49.0° |
| Orbit Period: | 95.5 minutes |
| Apsis: | gee |
Kosmos 196 (Russian: Космос 196 meaning Cosmos 196), also known as DS-U1-G No.2, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1967 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Office, and was used to study the effects of solar activity on the upper atmosphere.[1]
A Kosmos 63S1 carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 196 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar.[2] The launch occurred at 06:30:07 GMT on 19 December 1967, and resulted in the successfully insertion of the satellite into low Earth orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1967-125A. The North American Air Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 03074.[4]
Kosmos 196 was the second of two DS-U1-G satellites to be launched,[1] after Kosmos 108.[5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of, an apogee of, an inclination of 49.0°, and an orbital period of 95.5 minutes.[6] It completed operations on 7 February 1968.[7] On 7 July 1968, it decayed from orbit and reentered the atmosphere.[8]