Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik
Encyclopedia
Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik also known as DS, was a series of satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

s launched by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 between 1961 and 1982. DS satellites were used for a number of missions, including technological and scientific research, and radar tracking targets for anti-satellite weapon
Anti-satellite weapon
Anti-satellite weapons are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons. On September 13, 1985, the United States destroyed US...

s and anti-ballistic missile
Anti-ballistic missile
An anti-ballistic missile is a missile designed to counter ballistic missiles .A ballistic missile is used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight trajectory. The term "anti-ballistic missile" describes any antimissile system designed to counter...

s. 185 were launched, using dedicated Kosmos
Kosmos (rocket family)
The Kosmos rockets are a series of Soviet and subsequently Russian rockets, derived from the R-12 and R-14 missiles, the most well known of which is the Kosmos-3M, which has made over 440 launches, and is still in service...

 rockets.
The first DS satellite, DS-1 #1, was launched on the maiden flight
Maiden flight
The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage....

 of the Kosmos-2I
Kosmos-2I
Kosmos-2I is the designation applied to two Soviet carrier rockets, members of the R-12 family, which were used to orbit satellites between 1961 and 1977. They were superseded by the R-14 derived Kosmos-3 and Kosmos-3M.-References:* http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/koss63s1.htm*...

 63S1 rocket on 27 October 1971. It failed to reach orbit after an acceleration integrator malfunctioned. A second launch attempt, with DS-1 #2, failed due to a second stage malfunction. The third satellite, as DS-2
DS-2
Zuken’s DS-2 is a modular and scalable electronic product lifecycle management solution that has been developed specifically for electrical and electronics design applications. The Windows-based DS-2 platform was introduced in 2004, and was preceded by Zuken's DS-1 system for electronic product...

, successfully reached orbit and was subsequently assigned the designation Kosmos 1
Kosmos 1
Kosmos 1 , also known as DS-2 #1 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 11 was a technology demonstration and ionospheric research satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1962. It was the first satellite to be designated under the Kosmos system, and the first spacecraft launched as part of the...

, becoming the first satellite to be designated under the Kosmos system
Cosmos (satellite)
Kosmos is a designation given to a large number of satellites operated by the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia. Kosmos 1, the first spacecraft to be given a Kosmos designation, was launched on March 16, 1962....

. Kosmos designations were assigned to all DS satellites, except those that failed to reach orbit, and a small number which were launched as part of the Interkosmos
Intercosmos
Interkosmos was a space program of the Soviet Union designed to include members of military forces of allied Warsaw Pact countries in manned and unmanned missions...

 and Oreol programmes.

The last DS satellite, Kosmos 1375
Kosmos 1375
Kosmos 1375 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 Sputnik programme.. It was launched in 1982, and was itself part of the Dnipropetrovsk Sputnik programme...

 was launched aboard a Kosmos-3M on 6 June 1982. It was a Lira ASAT
Anti-satellite weapon
Anti-satellite weapons are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons. On September 13, 1985, the United States destroyed US...

 target, a derivative of the DS-P1-M.
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