Kosmos 291

Mission type	ASAT target
COSPAR ID	1969-066A
SATCAT no.	04058
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass	4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	06 September 1969, 5:44:00 (1969-09-06UTC05:44Z) UTC
Rocket	Tsyklon
Launch site	Baikonur Cosmodrome

Kosmos 291 (Russian: Космос 291 meaning Cosmos 291), was a satellite which was used as a target for tests of anti-satellite weapons. It was launched by the Soviet Union in September 1969 as part of the Istrebitel Sputnikov programme.

Launch

It was launched aboard a Tsyklon carrier rocket, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch occurred at 5:44:00 UTC on 6 September 1969. Shortly after launch, there was a booster failure which resulted in the loss of the spacecraft.