Oko
Encyclopedia
Oko is a a Soviet
and Russia
n satellite
system, used to detect missile
launches. It consists of a constellation of satellites, usually in molniya orbit
s, designated under the Kosmos
(Cosmos) system. The satellites are built by the company NPO Lavochkin and are launched on Molniya-M
rockets. Oko can be directly translated as the Russian word for eye.
in the 1970s, and declared operational in 1982. The satellites operated in molniya orbit
s with the parameters 600 x 39,700 km, 63 degrees and 718 minutes, passing over the Northern Hemisphere
every 12 hours. They could spot the flame of a missile launch against the stellar background within 20 to 30 seconds, leaving enough time to launch a counterstrike. Propellant dumps from the Molniya-M
a rocket's upper stage during Oko launches were connected to several UFO detections in Uruguay
, Chile
and Argentina
after 1977. The system requires at least 4 functioning satellites in order for it to be effective. This was achieved in the 1980s, but the system often fell short of this goal.
Shortly after midnight Moscow time on 26 September 1983, one of the Oko satellites reported several US ICBMs being launched. This resulted in a major nuclear false alarm. The satellite reports were passed to the Oko control center, the Serpukhov-15 bunker outside in Kurilovo, outside Moscow
, where Stanislav Petrov
was in command at the time. Examining the reports, Petrov was convinced the reports were in error, and refused to report the "launches" to his superiors. As he later explained, "when people start a war, they don't start it with only five missiles." Later study suggests that the angle between the sun, the satellite and the missile fields resulted in reflections off high-altitude clouds that caused the reports. Geoffrey Forden published a report for the Cato Institute
that identifies Kosmos-1382 as the most likely culprit for the false alarm.
Another early warning system, called the Prognoz
, was launched in 1984. Its first satellite was Cosmos 2133. Prognoz was designed to use a 24-hour geosynchronous orbit
to provide continuous coverage, in contrast to the 12-hour orbit used by Oko. It is unclear whether Prognoz was meant as a replacement for Oko or to supplement it. Some Oko-designated satellites were also adapted to use a 24-hour orbit.
In 2006, Russia had one operational US-KMO Prognoz (Cosmos 2379) satellite and four US-KS Oko satellites (Cosmos 2422, Cosmos 2393, Cosmos 2351, Cosmos 2368).
The system requires at least 4 satellites to be fully functional. The danger of false alarms increases when there are fewer than 4 satellites in orbit, due to the inability to double-check a detection.
The satellites are built by NPO Lavochkin and launched with Molniya-M
rockets. The advantages of Oko include that the system is reliable and well-established, and that it uses the relatively inexpensive (but now discontinued) Molniya launcher.
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....
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n 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....
system, used to detect missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
launches. It consists of a constellation of satellites, usually in molniya orbit
Molniya orbit
Molniya orbit is a type of highly elliptical orbit with an inclination of 63.4 degrees, an argument of perigee of -90 degree and an orbital period of one half of a sidereal day...
s, designated under the Kosmos
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....
(Cosmos) system. The satellites are built by the company NPO Lavochkin and are launched on Molniya-M
Molniya-M
The Molniya-M , designation 8K78M, was a Russian carrier rocket derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. First launched in 1964, it had replaced its predecessor, Molniya, by the end of 1965...
rockets. Oko can be directly translated as the Russian word for eye.
Soviet era
The Oko (US-KS) early warning system was introduced in the Soviet UnionSoviet 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 the 1970s, and declared operational in 1982. The satellites operated in molniya orbit
Molniya orbit
Molniya orbit is a type of highly elliptical orbit with an inclination of 63.4 degrees, an argument of perigee of -90 degree and an orbital period of one half of a sidereal day...
s with the parameters 600 x 39,700 km, 63 degrees and 718 minutes, passing over the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
every 12 hours. They could spot the flame of a missile launch against the stellar background within 20 to 30 seconds, leaving enough time to launch a counterstrike. Propellant dumps from the Molniya-M
Molniya-M
The Molniya-M , designation 8K78M, was a Russian carrier rocket derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. First launched in 1964, it had replaced its predecessor, Molniya, by the end of 1965...
a rocket's upper stage during Oko launches were connected to several UFO detections in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
after 1977. The system requires at least 4 functioning satellites in order for it to be effective. This was achieved in the 1980s, but the system often fell short of this goal.
Shortly after midnight Moscow time on 26 September 1983, one of the Oko satellites reported several US ICBMs being launched. This resulted in a major nuclear false alarm. The satellite reports were passed to the Oko control center, the Serpukhov-15 bunker outside in Kurilovo, outside Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where Stanislav Petrov
Stanislav Petrov
On September 26, 1983 the Nuclear Early Warning System of the Soviet Union twice reported the launch of American Minuteman ICBMs from bases in the United States. These missile attack warnings were correctly identified as a false alarm by Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov, an officer of the Soviet Air...
was in command at the time. Examining the reports, Petrov was convinced the reports were in error, and refused to report the "launches" to his superiors. As he later explained, "when people start a war, they don't start it with only five missiles." Later study suggests that the angle between the sun, the satellite and the missile fields resulted in reflections off high-altitude clouds that caused the reports. Geoffrey Forden published a report for the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
that identifies Kosmos-1382 as the most likely culprit for the false alarm.
Another early warning system, called the Prognoz
SPRN-2 Prognoz
The SRPN-2 Prognoz programme, commonly known as just Prognoz, is a Russian, previously Soviet, missile defence early warning programme, designed to supplement the Oko satellite system. The first prototype satellite was launched on 8 October 1975, atop a Proton-K/DM-2 carrier rocket...
, was launched in 1984. Its first satellite was Cosmos 2133. Prognoz was designed to use a 24-hour geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
to provide continuous coverage, in contrast to the 12-hour orbit used by Oko. It is unclear whether Prognoz was meant as a replacement for Oko or to supplement it. Some Oko-designated satellites were also adapted to use a 24-hour orbit.
Russian Federation
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the rate of launches decreased, but Russia remained committed to the program. A fully functioning constellation with 5 satellites was restored in 2001, but a fire in May 2001 in the Oko control facility at Kurilovo (Kaluga Region) reduced the number of operational satellites to 2. A further satellite was launched in the same year. Between 2002 and 2006 there were no Oko launches, until another Oko satellite, designated Cosmos 2422, was launched in July 2006.In 2006, Russia had one operational US-KMO Prognoz (Cosmos 2379) satellite and four US-KS Oko satellites (Cosmos 2422, Cosmos 2393, Cosmos 2351, Cosmos 2368).
Satellites
The Oko satellites are drum-shaped, 2 meters long and with a diameter of 1.7 m. They weigh 1,250 kilograms without fuel and 2,400 kilograms when fully loaded. They have a 350-kg infrared telescope pointing toward Earth, with a 4-m conical sunshield and an instrument bus. The telescope, which is the satellites' main instrument, is able to detect radiation from ascending missiles. Two solar panels provide a total of 2.8 kW of power. There are also several smaller, wider-angle telescopes to supplement the main instrument. The satellites have 16 liquid fuel engines for altitude control and 4 for manouvering.The system requires at least 4 satellites to be fully functional. The danger of false alarms increases when there are fewer than 4 satellites in orbit, due to the inability to double-check a detection.
The satellites are built by NPO Lavochkin and launched with Molniya-M
Molniya-M
The Molniya-M , designation 8K78M, was a Russian carrier rocket derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. First launched in 1964, it had replaced its predecessor, Molniya, by the end of 1965...
rockets. The advantages of Oko include that the system is reliable and well-established, and that it uses the relatively inexpensive (but now discontinued) Molniya launcher.