cosmos.wikisort.org - Spacecraft

Kosmos 520 (Russian: Космос 520 meaning Cosmos 520) was the first Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite. It was launched in 1972 as part of the Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]

Kosmos 520

Mission type	Early warning
COSPAR ID	1972-072A
SATCAT no.	06192
Mission duration	4 years [1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	US-K[2]
Launch mass	1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)[3]
Start of mission
Launch date	19 September 1972, 19:19 (1972-09-19UTC19:19Z) UTC
Rocket	Molniya-M/2BL[2]
Launch site	Plesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Molniya [2]
Perigee altitude	741 kilometres (460 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude	39,477 kilometres (24,530 mi)[4]
Inclination	62.8 degrees[4]
Period	715.03 minutes[4]

Kosmos 520 was launched from Site 41/1 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Soviet Union.[2][5] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 19:19 UTC on 19 September 1972.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1972-072A.[3] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 06192.[3]

See also

• List of Kosmos satellites (501–750)
• List of R-7 launches (1970-1974)
• 1972 in spaceflight

References

External links

• Kosmos 520 in the Lavochkin museum - photograph from Novosti Kosmonavtiki, telescopes, infrared telescope, antenna

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