| Mission type | Technology Cosmic ray |
|---|---|
| Operator | VNIIEM |
| COSPAR ID | 1964-080A |
| SATCAT no. | 00947 |
| Mission duration | 340 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-MT |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 350 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 9 December 1964 23:02:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63S1 |
| Launch site | Kapustin Yar, Site 86/1 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 14 November 1965 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 262 km |
| Apogee altitude | 533 km |
| Inclination | 48.8° |
| Period | 92.5 minutes |
| Epoch | 9 December 1964 |
Kosmos 51 (Russian: Космос 51 meaning Cosmos 51), also known as DS-MT No.3 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1964 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. Its primary mission was to demonstrate an electric gyrodyne orientation system.[3] It also carried a scientific research package as a secondary payload, which was used to study cosmic rays and the luminosity of the stellar background.
It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket[4] from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 23:02 GMT on 9 December 1964.[5]
Kosmos 51 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 262 kilometres (163 mi), an apogee of 533 kilometres (331 mi), 48.8° of inclination, and an orbital period of 92.5 minutes. It decayed from orbit on 14 November 1965.[6] Kosmos 51 was the last of three DS-MT satellites to be launched. The first was lost in a launch failure on 1 June 1963, and the second was launched as Kosmos 31 on 6 June 1964.[7]