Kosmos 257 (Russian: Космос 257 meaning Cosmos 257), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.17, was a Soviet satellite which was used as a radar calibration target for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. It was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[1] It had a mass of 325 kilograms (717 lb).[1]
Mission type | ABM radar target |
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COSPAR ID | 1968-107A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 03578![]() |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | DS-P1-Yu |
Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
Launch mass | 325 kilograms (717 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 3 December 1968, 14:52:21 (1968-12-03UTC14:52:21Z) UTC |
Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
Launch site | Plesetsk 133/1 |
End of mission | |
Decay date | 5 March 1969 (1969-03-06) |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 261 kilometres (162 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 396 kilometres (246 mi) |
Inclination | 70.9 degrees |
Period | 91.10 minutes |
Kosmos 257 was launched from Site 133/1 at Plesetsk,[2] atop a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 3 December 1968 at 14:52:21 UTC, and resulted in Kosmos 257's successful deployment into low Earth orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-107A.
Kosmos 257 was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 261 kilometres (162 mi), an apogee of 396 kilometres (246 mi), 70.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.10 minutes.[1][4] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 5 March 1969.[4] It was the seventeenth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the sixteenth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[5]
← 1967 · Orbital launches in 1968 · 1969 → | |
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Surveyor 7 | Explorer 36 | Kosmos 199 | OPS 1965 | OPS 5028 | Kosmos 200 | Apollo 5 | OPS 2243 · OPS 6236 | Kosmos 201 | E-6LS No.112 | Kosmos 202 | Kosmos 203 | OPS 7034 | Zond 4 | OGO-5 | Kosmos 204 | Kosmos 205 | Explorer 37 | DS-U1-Ya No.1 | OPS 5057 | Kosmos 206 | OPS 4849 · OPS 7076 | Kosmos 207 | Kosmos 208 | Kosmos 209 | Kosmos 210 | Apollo 6 | OV1-13 · OV1-14 | Luna 14 | Kosmos 211 | Kosmos 212 | Kosmos 213 | OPS 5165 | Kosmos 214 | Kosmos 215 | Kosmos 216 | Molniya-1 No.10 | 7K-L1 No.7L | Kosmos 217 | Kosmos 218 | Kosmos 219 | OPS 1419 | Kosmos 220 | ESRO-2B | Nimbus B · SECOR 10 | OPS 7869 | Kosmos 221 | Kosmos 222 | Kosmos 223 | Kosmos 224 | Sfera No.12L | OPS 5138 | Kosmos 225 | Kosmos 226 | IDCSP 20 · IDCSP 21 · IDCSP 22 · IDCSP 23 · IDCSP 24 · IDCSP 25 · IDCSP 26 · IDCSP 27 | Strela-2 No.3 | Kosmos 227 | OPS 5343 · OPS 5259 | Kosmos 228 | Kosmos 229 | Explorer 38 | Kosmos 230 | Molniya-1 No.13 | Kosmos 231 | OV1-15 · OV1-16 | Kosmos 232 | Kosmos 233 | Kosmos 234 | OPS 2222 | OPS 5187 | OPS 5955 | Explorer 39 · Explorer 40 | Kosmos 235 | ATS-4 | ESSA-7 | Orbiscal 1 · OV5-8 · Gridsphere 1 · Gridsphere 2 · Gridsphere B · Gridsphere R · LCS-3 · LIDOS · SECOR 11 · SECOR 12 · Radcat · P68-1 | Kosmos 236 | Kosmos 237 | Kosmos 238 | Kosmos 239 | OPS 5247 | Kosmos 240 | Zond 5 | Kosmos 241 | OPS 0165 · OPS 8595 | Intelsat III F-1 | Kosmos 242 | Kosmos 243 | LES-6 · OV2-5 · ERS-21 · ERS-28 | Kosmos 244 | Kosmos 245 | ESRO-1A | Molniya-1 No.14 | OPS 0964 | Kosmos 246 | Kosmos 247 | Apollo 7 | Kosmos 248 | Kosmos 249 | OPS 4078 | Soyuz 2 | Soyuz 3 | Kosmos 250 | Kosmos 251 | Kosmos 252 | OPS 1315 | OPS 5296 | Pioneer 9 · ERS-31 | Zond 6 | Kosmos 253 | Proton 4 | Kosmos 254 | Kosmos 255 | STV-1 | Kosmos 256 | Kosmos 257 | OPS 6518 | HEOS-1 | OAO-2 | Kosmos 258 | OPS 4740 · OPS 7684 | Kosmos 259 | ESSA-8 | Kosmos 260 | Intelsat III F-2 | Kosmos 261 | Apollo 8 | Kosmos 262 | |
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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