Strela (satellite)
Encyclopedia
Strela is a Russia
n (previously Soviet
) military communications satellite
constellation operating in low Earth orbit
.
program.
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 (previously Soviet
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....
) military communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
constellation operating in 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...
.
History
The first three satellites, Kosmos 38 (reentered 1964-11-08), Kosmos 39 (reentered 1964-11-17) and Kosmos 40 (reentered 1964-11-17), were launched on 18 August 1964. Five different types of Strela satellites have been launched, designated Strela-1 (1964-65), Strela-1M (1970-1992), Strela-2 (1965-1968), Strela-2M (1970-1994), and Strela-3 (1985-2010). Strela satellites are also used for the civilian GonetsGonets
Gonets is a Russian civilian low Earth orbit communication satellite system. It consists of a number of satellites, derived from Strela military communication satellites...
program.
Accidents and incidents
- At 16:55 GMT on 10 February 2009, Kosmos 2251, a retired Strela-2M, collided with2009 satellite collisionThe 2009 satellite collision was the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact artificial satellites in Earth orbit. The collision occurred at 16:56 UTC on February 10, 2009, at above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia, when Iridium 33 and Kosmos-2251 collided...
the operational Iridium 33Iridium 33Iridium 33 was a U.S. Iridium communications satellite. It was launched into low Earth orbit from Site 81/23 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 01:36 GMT on 14 September 1997, by a Proton-K carrier rocket with a Block DM2 upper stage...
satellite.