Kosmos 2468

Kosmos 2468
Mission type communications satellite
Operator VKS
COSPAR ID 2010-043C
SATCAT № 37154
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (NPO PM)[1]
Launch mass 225 kilograms (496 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date 8 September 2010, 03:30 (2010-09-08UTC03:30Z) UTC
Rocket Rokot/Briz-KM
Launch site Plesetsk 133/3
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth Orbit
Perigee 1,509 kilometres (938 mi)[2]
Apogee 1,498 kilometres (931 mi)[2]
Inclination 82.4 degrees[2]
Period 116.06 minutes

Kosmos 2468 (Russian: Космос 2468 meaning Cosmos 2468) is a Russian military communications satellite which was launched in 2010 by the Russian Space Forces. It was launched with Kosmos 2467 and a Gonets-M civilian communication satellite.

Launch

Kosmos 2468 was launched from Site 133/3 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. It was launched by a Rockot carrier rocket with a Briz-KM upper stage at 03:30 UTC on its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 2010-043C. The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 37154.[2]

Strela-3 and Rodnik

Kosmos 2468 and Kosmos 2467 are Strela-3 communications satellite. One of them is a Strela-3, and one is a Strela-3M. It is not known which is which.[1] They are described as store-dump communications satellites which receive information from the ground when they pass overhead, and store that information until they pass over the ground station they deliver the information to.[3]:15 The satellites are in low earth orbit going round the earth every 116 minutes.[2][4] A full deployment of Strela-3 craft should consist of twelve satellites.[3]:15 One satellite has the GRAU index of 17F13, as a Strela-3, and the other has a GRAU index of 17F132 as a Strela-3M.[1][5]

Strela-3 has a civilian variant called Gonets which is used by the Russian government for communication in remote areas. It can take between two minutes and six hours to deliver messages.[6]

The previous satellites of this class, Kosmos 2451, Kosmos 2452 and Kosmos 2453 were launched together in July 2009.[5][7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Krebs, Gunter. "Strela-3 (14F13)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 Podvig, Pavel; Zuang, Hui (2008). Russian and Chinese Responses to US Military Plans in Space (PDF). Cambridge, MA: American Academy of Arts and Sciences. ISBN 0-87724-068-X.
  4. ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "Strela-3M (Rodnik, 14F132)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  5. 1 2 Pavel, Podvig (2010-09-08). "Gonets-M, Strela-3, and Strela-3M satellites are in orbit". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
  6. ↑ Ракета "Рокот" с четырьмя спутниками успешно стартовала с Плесецка [Rocket 'Rockot' was successfully launched from Plesetsk with four satellites] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  7. ↑ Pavel, Podvig (2009-07-06). "Rockot launched three communication satellites". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
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