Kosmos 16 (Russian: Космос 16 meaning Cosmos 16) or Zenit-2 No.10 was a Soviet optical film-return reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 1963. A Zenit-2 satellite, Kosmos 16 was the tenth of eighty-one such spacecraft to be launched.[3][4]
Mission type | Optical imaging reconnaissance |
---|---|
COSPAR ID | 1963-012A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 00571 |
Mission duration | 10 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Zenit-2 |
Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
Launch mass | 4730 kg[1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 28 April 1963, 09:36:00 GMT |
Rocket | Vostok-2 s/n E15000-02 |
Launch site | Baikonur, Site 1/5 |
Contractor | OKB-1 |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Recovered |
Landing date | 8 May 1963 |
Landing site | Steppe in Kazakhstan |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 194 km |
Apogee altitude | 388 km |
Inclination | 65.0° |
Period | 90.4 minutes |
Epoch | 28 April 1963 |
Kosmos 16 was a Zenit-2 satellite, a first generation, low resolution, reconnaissance satellite derived from the Vostok spacecraft used for crewed flights, the satellites were developed by OKB-1. In addition to reconnaissance, it was also used for research into radiation in support of the Vostok programme. It had a mass of 4,730 kilograms (10,430 lb).[1]
The Vostok-2 rocket, serial number E15000-02,[5] was used to launch Kosmos 16. The launch took place at 09:36:00 GMT on 28 April 1963, using Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Following its successful arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its Kosmos designation, along with the International Designator 1963-012A and the Satellite Catalog Number 00571.[1]
Kosmos 16 was operated in a low Earth orbit. On 30 April 1963, it had a perigee of 194 kilometres (121 mi), an apogee of 388 kilometres (241 mi), with an inclination of 65.0°, and an orbital period of 90.4 minutes.[2] A malfunction of the spacecraft's attitude control system resulted in the satellite being able to return only some of the images, due to the failure of the engine block stabilisation system.[1] After ten days in orbit, the spacecraft was deorbited on 8 May 1963.[6] Its return capsule descended under a parachute and was recovered by the Soviet forces in the steppe in Kazakhstan.
← 1962 · Orbital launches in 1963 · 1964 → | |
---|---|
Luna E-6 No.2 | OPS 0048 | OPS 0180 | Luna E-6 No.3 | Syncom 1 | OPS 0240 | OPS 0583 | OPS 0627 · P-11 No.1 | Kosmos 13 | OPS 0720 | Luna 4 | Explorer 17 | Transit 5A-2 | DS-P1 No.2 | Kosmos 14 | Kosmos 15 | OPS 1008 | OPS 1298 | Kosmos 16 | Telstar 2 | Midas 7 · DASH 1 · ERS-5 · ERS-6 · Westford 2 | Mercury-Atlas 9 (Balloon Subsatellite 2 · Flashing Light Unit) | OPS 0924 | Kosmos 17 | Kosmos 18 | DS-MT No.1 | OPS 0954 | Midas 8 · ERS-7 · ERS-8 | Vostok 5 | FTV-1292 · Solrad 6 · LOFTI 2A · Surcal 3 · Radose 112 | Transit 5A-3 | Vostok 6 | TIROS-7 | OPS 0999 · Hitchhiker 1 | GRS | OPS 1440 | Zenit-2 No.12 | OPS 1467 | OPS 1266 | Midas 9 · DASH 2 · ERS-9 · ERS-10 | Syncom 2 | OPS 1370 | Kosmos 19 | DS-A1 No.3 | OPS 1419 | OPS 1561 · LAMPO | OPS 1947 | OPS 1353 | OPS 1610 | Transit 5BN-1 · Transit 5E-1 | Vela 1A · Vela 1B · ERS-12 | Kosmos 20 | DS-A1 No.4 | OPS 2196 | OPS 2437 · Hitchhiker 2 | Polyot 1 | OPS 2268 | Kosmos 21 | Kosmos 22 | Explorer 18 | Atlas-Centaur 2 | OPS 2260 | Zenit-2 No.14 | Transit 5BN-2 · Transit 5E-2 | Kosmos 23 | OPS 2372 | Kosmos 24 | Explorer 19 | TIROS-8 | OPS 1388 · Hitchhiker 3 | |
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. |
Zenit-2 satellites | |
---|---|
Zenit-2 |
|
Zenit-2M (Gektor) |
|
|
![]() | This article about one or more spacecraft of the Soviet Union is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |