Kosmos 204 Explained

Kosmos 204
Mission Type:ABM radar target
Cospar Id:1968-015A
Satcat:03139
Mission Duration:362 days
Spacecraft Type:DS-P1-I
Manufacturer:Yuzhnoye
Launch Mass:400 kg
Launch Date:5 March 1968, 18:28:00 GMT
Launch Rocket:Kosmos-2I 63SM
Launch Site:Plesetsk Site 133/3
Launch Contractor:Yuzhnoye
Decay Date:2 March 1969
Orbit Epoch:5 March 1968
Orbit Reference:Geocentric
Orbit Regime:Low Earth
Orbit Periapsis:204 km
Orbit Apoapsis:844 km
Orbit Inclination:70.0°
Orbit Period:95.9 minutes
Apsis:gee

Kosmos 204 (Russian: Космос 204 meaning Cosmos 204), also known as DS-P1-I No.3 was a satellite which was used as a radar target for anti-ballistic missile tests. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[1] and had a mass of .[2]

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63SM rocket,[3] from Site 133/1 at Plesetsk. The launch occurred at 18:28:00 GMT on 5 March 1968.[4]

Kosmos 204 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of, an apogee of, an inclination of 70.0°, and an orbital period of 95.9 minutes.[5] It decayed from orbit on 2 March 1969.[6]

Kosmos 204 was the third of nineteen DS-P1-I satellites to be launched. Of these, all reached orbit successfully except the seventh, launched out of sequence.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: DS-P1-I. Wade. Mark . Encyclopedia Astronautica. 28 May 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091130070610/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/dsp1i.htm. 30 November 2009.
  2. Web site: Cosmos 204: Display 1968-015A. nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. 19 April 2020.
  3. Web site: Launch Log. McDowell. Jonathan. Jonathan McDowell. Jonathan's Space Page. 28 May 2009.
  4. Web site: Kosmos 2. Wade. Mark. Encyclopedia Astronautica. 28 May 2009. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120618125001/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/kosmos2.htm. 18 June 2012.
  5. Web site: Cosmos 204: Trajectory 1968-015A. nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov . NASA. 27 February 2020. 19 April 2020.
  6. Web site: Satellite Catalog. McDowell. Jonathan. Jonathan's Space Page. 28 May 2009.
  7. Web site: DS. Wade. Mark. Encyclopedia Astronautica. 28 May 2009. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090331210314/http://www.astronautix.com/project/ds.htm. 31 March 2009.