Kosmos 1261

Kosmos 1261
Mission type	Early warning
COSPAR ID	1981-031A
SATCAT no.	12376
Mission duration	4 years
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	US-K
Launch mass	1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	31 March 1981, 09:40 UTC
Rocket	Molniya-M/2BL
Launch site	Plesetsk Cosmodrome
End of mission
Deactivated	1 May 1981
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Molniya
Perigee altitude	637 kilometres (396 mi)
Apogee altitude	39,747 kilometres (24,698 mi)
Inclination	63.0 degrees
Period	718.39 minutes

Kosmos 1261 (Russian: Космос 1261 meaning Cosmos 1261) was a Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 1981 as part of the Soviet military's Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.^[2]

Kosmos 1261 was launched from Site 41/1 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Russian SSR.^[3] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 09:40 UTC on 31 March 1981.^[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1981-031A.^[4] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 12376.^[4]

It self-destructed.^[1]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10: 21–60. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-15.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.

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[Podvig-History-1] Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10: 21–60. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-15.

[gunter-2] "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-21.

[LaunchLog-3] McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.

[McDowell-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.

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[4]

v t Oko programme
US-K	Kosmos 520 Kosmos 606 Kosmos 665 Kosmos 706 Kosmos 862 Kosmos 903 Kosmos 917 Kosmos 931 Kosmos 1024 Kosmos 1030 Kosmos 1109 Kosmos 1124 Kosmos 1164 Kosmos 1172 Kosmos 1188 Kosmos 1191 Kosmos 1217 Kosmos 1223 Kosmos 1247 Kosmos 1261 Kosmos 1278 Kosmos 1285 Kosmos 1317 Kosmos 1341 Kosmos 1348 Kosmos 1367 Kosmos 1382 Kosmos 1409 Kosmos 1456 Kosmos 1481 Kosmos 1518 Kosmos 1541 Kosmos 1547 Kosmos 1569 Kosmos 1581 Kosmos 1586 Kosmos 1596 Kosmos 1604 Kosmos 1658 Kosmos 1661 Kosmos 1675 Kosmos 1684 Kosmos 1687 Kosmos 1698 Kosmos 1701 Kosmos 1729 Kosmos 1761 Kosmos 1774 Kosmos 1783 Kosmos 1785 Kosmos 1793 Kosmos 1806 Kosmos 1849 Kosmos 1851 Kosmos 1903 Kosmos 1922 Kosmos 1966 Kosmos 1974 Kosmos 1977 Kosmos 2001 Kosmos 2050 Kosmos 2063 Kosmos 2076 Kosmos 2084 Kosmos 2087 Kosmos 2097 Kosmos 2105 Kosmos 2176 Kosmos 2196 Kosmos 2217 Kosmos 2222 Kosmos 2232 Kosmos 2241 Kosmos 2261 Kosmos 2286 Kosmos 2312 Kosmos 2340 Kosmos 2342 Kosmos 2351 Kosmos 2368 Kosmos 2388 Kosmos 2393 Kosmos 2422 Kosmos 2430 Kosmos 2446 Kosmos 2469
US-KS	Kosmos 775 Kosmos 1546 Kosmos 1629 Kosmos 1894 Kosmos 2155 Kosmos 2209 Kosmos 2345
US-KMO	Kosmos 2133 Kosmos 2224 Kosmos 2282 Kosmos 2350 Kosmos 2379 Kosmos 2397 Kosmos 2440 Kosmos 2479
List of satellites

Kosmos 1261

See also[]

References[]