| Kosmos 26 | |
| Mission Type: | Magnetosphere |
| Cospar Id: | 1964-013A |
| Satcat: | 00766 |
| Mission Duration: | 194 days |
| Spacecraft Type: | DS-MG |
| Manufacturer: | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch Mass: | 365 kg[1] |
| Launch Date: | 18 March 1964, 15:07:00 GMT |
| Launch Rocket: | Kosmos-2I 63S1 |
| Launch Site: | Kapustin Yar, Mayak-2 |
| Launch Contractor: | Yuzhnoye |
| Orbit Epoch: | 18 March 1964 |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric[2] |
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 266 km |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 387 km |
| Orbit Inclination: | 49.0° |
| Orbit Period: | 91.0 minutes |
| Apsis: | gee |
Kosmos 26 (Russian: Космос 26 meaning Cosmos 26), also known as DS-MG No.1 was a scientific satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1964. This mission studied the Earth's magnetic field and, along with Kosmos 49, represented the USSR contribution to the International Quiet Solar Year World Magnetic Survey. The corresponding American measurements were performed by the satellites OGO 2 and OGO 4.[3]
It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket[4] from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 15:07 GMT on 18 March 1964.[5]
Kosmos 26 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of, an apogee of, 49.0° of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.0 minutes. It decayed from orbit on 28 September 1964.[6] Kosmos 26 was the first of two DS-MG satellites to be launched, the other being Kosmos 49.[7]