Kosmos 23
Encyclopedia
Kosmos 23 also known as Omega #2, was a satellite
which was launched by the Soviet Union
in 1963. It was an Omega satellite, derived from the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik
series. It was a 200 kilograms (440.9 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
, and was used to conduct experiments with the use of gyroscope
s to control spacecraft, for VNIIEM.
Kosmos 23 was launched from pad 2 of the Mayak Launch Complex at Kapustin Yar
, aboard a Kosmos-2I
63S1 carrier rocket. The launch occurred at 14:15:00 GMT on 13 December 1963, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into a low Earth orbit
. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator
1963-050A. The North American Aerospace Defense Command
assigned it the catalogue number
00707.
Kosmos 23 was the second of two Omega satellites to be launched, after Kosmos 14
. It was operated in an orbit with a perigee
of 237 kilometres (147.3 mi), an apogee
of 528 kilometres (328.1 mi), 48.9 degrees of inclination
, and an orbital period
of 92.2 minutes. It remained in orbit until it decayed
and reentered the atmosphere on 27 March 1964.
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....
which was 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....
in 1963. It was an Omega satellite, derived from the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik
Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik
Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik , also known as DS, was a series of satellites launched by the Soviet Union 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 weapons and anti-ballistic...
series. It was a 200 kilograms (440.9 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau , located in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, is a designer of satellites and rockets, and formerly of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles established by Mikhail Yangel. Yuzhnoye's OKB designation was OKB-586....
, and was used to conduct experiments with the use of gyroscope
Gyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
s to control spacecraft, for VNIIEM.
Kosmos 23 was launched from pad 2 of the Mayak Launch Complex at Kapustin Yar
Kapustin Yar
Kapustin Yar is a Russian rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan. Known today as Znamensk , it was established 13 May 1946 and in the beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from defeated Germany...
, aboard a 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 carrier rocket. The launch occurred at 14:15:00 GMT on 13 December 1963, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into a low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator
International Designator
The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites...
1963-050A. The North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
assigned it the catalogue number
Satellite Catalog Number
The Satellite Catalog Number is a sequential 5-digit number assigned by USSPACECOM to all Earth orbiting satellites in order of identification. Before USSPACECOM, the catalog was maintained by NORAD...
00707.
Kosmos 23 was the second of two Omega satellites to be launched, after Kosmos 14
Kosmos 14
Kosmos 14 , also known as Omega #1, was a satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1963. It was an Omega satellite, derived from the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik series...
. It was operated in an orbit with a perigee
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
of 237 kilometres (147.3 mi), an apogee
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
of 528 kilometres (328.1 mi), 48.9 degrees of inclination
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
, and an orbital period
Orbital period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
of 92.2 minutes. It remained in orbit until it decayed
Orbital decay
Orbital decay is the process of prolonged reduction in the altitude of a satellite's orbit.This can be due to drag produced by an atmosphere due to frequent collisions between the satellite and surrounding air molecules. The drag experienced by the object is larger in the case of increased solar...
and reentered the atmosphere on 27 March 1964.