Kosmos 1241 (Russian: Космос 1241 meaning Cosmos 1241) was a target satellite which was used by the Soviet Union in the 1980s for tests of anti-satellite weapons as part of the Istrebitel Sputnikov programme.[1] It was launched in 1981, and was itself part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[2] It was a target for Kosmos 1243 and Kosmos 1258.
Mission type | ASAT target |
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COSPAR ID | 1981-006A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 12149![]() |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Lira |
Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
Launch mass | 650 kilograms (1,430 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 21 January 1981, 08:29 (1981-01-21UTC08:29Z) UTC |
Rocket | Kosmos-3M |
Launch site | Plesetsk 132/1 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 989 kilometres (615 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 995 kilometres (618 mi) |
Inclination | 65.8 degrees |
Period | 105 minutes |
It was launched at 08:29 UTC on 21 January 1981,[3] using a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket,[4] flying from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northwest Russia.
Kosmos 1241 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 989 kilometres (615 mi), an apogee of 995 kilometres (618 mi), 65.8 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 105 minutes.[2] It was intercepted by Kosmos 1243 on 2 February. This was intended to have been a destructive test; however, the explosive charge aboard Kosmos 1243 failed to detonate. Kosmos 1258 attempted to intercept it on 14 March; however, it failed. As of 2009, Kosmos 1241 is still orbiting the Earth.[1][5]
Kosmos 1241 was the ninth of ten Lira satellites to be launched,[2] of which all but the first were successful. Lira was derived from the earlier DS-P1-M satellite, which it replaced. Kosmos 1241 was also the penultimate satellite to be launched as part of the DS programme, which concluded with Kosmos 1375 in June 1982.
Istrebitel Sputnikov programme | |
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I1P |
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IS-A |
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IS-P |
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Other targets |
← 1980 · Orbital launches in 1981 · 1982 → | |
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Kosmos 1237 | Molniya-3 No.25 | Kosmos 1238 | Kosmos 1239 | Kosmos 1240 | Kosmos 1241 | Musson No.11 | Progress 12 | Kosmos 1242 | Molniya 1-49 | Kosmos 1243 | Interkosmos 21 | Kiku 3 | Kosmos 1244 | Kosmos 1245 | Kosmos 1246 | Kosmos 1247 | Hinotori | Comstar D4 | OPS 1166 | Kosmos 1248 | Kosmos 1249 | Kosmos 1250 · Kosmos 1251 · Kosmos 1252 · Kosmos 1253 · Kosmos 1254 · Kosmos 1255 · Kosmos 1256 · Kosmos 1257 | Soyuz T-4 | Kosmos 1258 | OPS 7350 | Kosmos 1259 | Gran' No.18L | Kosmos 1260 | Soyuz 39 | Molniya-3 No.24 | Yantar-2K No.979 | Kosmos 1261 | Kosmos 1262 | Kosmos 1263 | STS-1 | Kosmos 1264 | Kosmos 1265 | Kosmos 1266 | OPS 7225 | Kosmos 1267 | Kosmos 1268 | Kosmos 1269 | Soyuz 40 | Meteor-2 No.8 | Nova-1 | Kosmos 1270 | Kosmos 1271 | Kosmos 1272 | Kosmos 1273 | GOES 5 | Intelsat V F-1 | Rohini RS-D1 | Kosmos 1274 | Kosmos 1275 | Molniya-3 No.30 | Kosmos 1276 | Kosmos 1277 | Meteosat 2 · APPLE · CAT-3 | Kosmos 1278 | NOAA-7 | Molniya 1-50 | Ekran No.21L | Kosmos 1279 | Kosmos 1280 | Kosmos 1281 | Meteor-Priroda 2-4 · Iskra 1 | Kosmos 1282 | Kosmos 1283 | Kosmos 1284 | Gran' No.19L | DE-1 · DE-2 | Kosmos 1285 | Kosmos 1286 | FLTSATCOM 5 | Kosmos 1287 · Kosmos 1288 · Kosmos 1289 · Kosmos 1290 · Kosmos 1291 · Kosmos 1292 · Kosmos 1293 · Kosmos 1294 | Bulgaria 1300 | Himawari 2 | Kosmos 1295 | Kosmos 1296 | Kosmos 1297 | Kosmos 1298 | Kosmos 1299 | Kosmos 1300 | Kosmos 1301 | Kosmos 1302 | OPS 3984 | Kosmos 1303 | Kosmos 1304 | Kosmos 1305 | Kosmos 1306 | Kosmos 1307 | Kosmos 1308 | Kosmos 1309 | Shijian 2 · Shijian 2-01 · Shijian 2-02 | Oreol 3 | Kosmos 1310 | SBS 2 | Kosmos 1311 | Kosmos 1312 | Kosmos 1313 | SME · UoSAT-1 | Kosmos 1314 | Gran' No.20L | Kosmos 1315 | Kosmos 1316 | Molniya-3 No.31 | Venera 13 | OPS 4029 | Kosmos 1317 | Kosmos 1318 | Venera 14 | STS-2 | Kosmos 1319 | Molniya 1-51 | Satcom 3R | Bhaskara 2 | Kosmos 1320 · Kosmos 1321 · Kosmos 1322 · Kosmos 1323 · Kosmos 1324 · Kosmos 1325 · Kosmos 1326 · Kosmos 1327 | Kosmos 1328 | Kosmos 1329 | Intelsat V F-3 | RS-3 · RS-4 · RS-5 · RS-6 · RS-7 · RS-8 | Navstar 7 | Kosmos 1330 | MARECS-1 · CAT-4 | Molniya-1 No.55 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets). |
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