Kosmos 615
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1973-099A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.06971Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-I
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass400 kilograms (880 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date13 December 1973, 11:10:03 (1973-12-13UTC11:10:03Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date17 December 1975 (1975-12-18)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude270 kilometres (170 mi)
Apogee altitude834 kilometres (518 mi)
Inclination71 degrees
Period95.7 minutes
 

Kosmos 615 (Russian: Космос 615 meaning Cosmos 615), also known as DS-P1-I No. 13, was a satellite which was used as a radar target for anti-ballistic missile tests. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1973 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[1]

Launch

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63SM rocket,[2] from Site 133/1 at Plesetsk. The launch occurred at 11:10:03 UTC on 13 December 1973.[3]

Orbit

Kosmos 615 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 270 kilometres (170 mi), an apogee of 834 kilometres (518 mi), 71 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 95.7 minutes.[1] It decayed from orbit on 17 December 1975.[4]

Kosmos 615 was the thirteenth of nineteen DS-P1-I satellites to be launched.[1] Of these, all reached orbit successfully except the seventh.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-I". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  3. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  4. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  5. ^ Wade, Mark. "DS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.


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