Kosmos 159
| Mission type | Uncrewed lunar spacecraft |
|---|---|
| Operator | GSMZ Lavochkin |
| COSPAR ID | 1967-046A |
| SATCATno. | 02805 |
| Mission duration | 179 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | E-6LS |
| Manufacturer | GSMZ Lavochkin |
| Launch mass | 1640 kg[1] |
| Dry mass | 1136 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 May 1967, 21:43:57 GMT |
| Rocket | Molniya-M s/n N15001-58 |
| Launch site | Baikonur,Site 1/5 |
| Contractor | TsSKB-Progress |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 11 November 1967 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
| Regime | Elliptic Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 350 km |
| Apogee altitude | 60637 km |
| Inclination | 51.8° |
| Period | 1174.0 minutes |
| Epoch | 16 May 1967 |
Kosmos 159(Russian:Космос 159,meaningCosmos 159),E-6LS No.111,was one of manysatellitesdesigned during theSoviet space programgiven the designationKosmos.This satellite was specifically designed to be a high orbit satellite used to gain information on trajectory anomalies caused by the Moon's gravitational pull. This data would have been vital to the Soviet space program and could have been key in successful crewed missions to the Moon. This mission was also used to testradio communicationsin space.[3]
Spacecraft[edit]
Kosmos 159 was a one-off high apogee Earth satellite developed to acquire data on new telecommunications systems for upcoming crewed missions to the Moon. Besides a usual complement of telemetry and communications equipment, the vehicle also carried a transceiver as part of the long-range communications system (Dal'nyy radiokompleks, DRK) and the BR-9-7 telemetry system, equipment designed to work with the new SaturnMS-DRK ground station located near the village ofSaburovo,about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from NIP-14, a station, close to Moscow, belonging to the Soviet ground-based tracking network. The spacecraft was similar toLuna 11but had a slightly lengthened (by 15 centimetres (5.9 in)) instrument container so as to accommodate the modified DRK and new BR-9-7 telemetry systems.[1]
Mission[edit]
The Kosmos 159 was launched 16 May 1967[4]at 21:43:57 GMT, which was a radio-equipped version of the E-6 used to test tracking and communications networks for the Soviet crewed lunar program. The objective of the mission was to acquire data on trajectory measurement techniques for future crewed lunar missions. Kosmos 159 was planned to go into a very high apogee (250,000 km) orbit, but the Blok L upper stage is to have cut off too early, leaving the spacecraft in aperigeeof 350 kilometres (220 mi), anapogeeof 60,637 kilometres (37,678 mi), aninclinationof 51.8°, and anorbital periodof 1174.0 minutes.[2]Despite the incorrect orbit, controllers were able to accomplish the original mission, carried out over a period of nine days during which it was discovered that the energy potential of the UHF downlink from the spacecraft to the ground was 1–2 orders magnitude below the calculated value. Kosmos 159 reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 11 November 1967. The craft weighed 1,640 kilograms (3,620 lb).[1]
References[edit]
- ^abcSiddiqi, Asif A. "BEYOND EARTH: A CHRONICLE OF DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION, 1958–2016", 2018, pp. 87-88, 17 April 2020,https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/beyond-earth-tagged.pdf
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
- ^ab"Cosmos 159: Trajectory 1967-046A".nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov.NASA. 27 February 2020.Retrieved17 April2020.This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
- ^Zelenyi, L. M., A. V. Zakharov, and O. V. Zakutnyaya. "Will the Lunar Renaissance Come Forth?" Solar System Research 45.7, 2011, pp. 697-704, ProQuest, 15 April 2016.
- ^"Cosmos 159: Display 1967-046A".nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov.NASA. 27 February 2020.Retrieved17 April2020.This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
