Bion

Bion was developed for biological studies of the effects of radiation. The Bion series were built by TsSKB with experimental payloads by the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems. The spacecraft was based on the Zenit reconnaissance satellite and launches began in 1973. Launches in the program included Cosmos 110, 605, 670, 782, plus 11 autonomous Nauka modules flown on Zenit-2M reconnaissance satellites. 90 kg of equipment could be contained in the external Nauka module.

Design Life: 30 days. Typical orbit: 226 x 228 km at 82.3 degrees inclination. Mass: 5,400 kg (11,900 lb). Payload: 625 kg (1,377 lb).

• 1973 October 31 - Cosmos 605 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 213 km (132 mi). Apogee: 403 km (250 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.70 min. Duration: 21.50 days.
  Investigation of the influence of space flight on living organisms and testing of life-support systems for biological entities. Capsule recovered 53 deg 29 min N, 65 deg 27 min E.

• 1974 October 22 - Cosmos 690 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/4. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 215 km (133 mi). Apogee: 364 km (226 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.30 min. Duration: 20.50 days.
  Biological research. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1975 November 25 - Cosmos 782 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 218 km (135 mi). Apogee: 384 km (238 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.50 min. Duration: 19.50 days.
  Biological research. Continued investigation of the effects of space flight on living organisms. Capsule recovered 52 deg 17 min N, 64 deg 11 min E. The Cosmos 782 mission marked the first time that the United States participated in the Soviet Cosmos Program. Scientists from France, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. participated in these investigations. Additional Details: Cosmos 782.

• 1977 August 3 - Cosmos 936 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 219 km (136 mi). Apogee: 396 km (246 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.60 min. Duration: 18.60 days.
  Biological research. Scientists from the U.S.S.R., the U.S., Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the German Democratic Republic conducted experiments in physics and biology on the mission. The biosatellite was recovered at 51 deg 53 min N, 61 deg 30 min E, near Kustanay in Central Asia after remaining in orbit for 18.5 days. Additional Details: Cosmos 936.

• 1979 September 25 - Cosmos 1129 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 213 km (132 mi). Apogee: 376 km (233 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.40 min. Duration: 18.50 days.
  Biological experiments; embryo development, radiation medicine. Biosatellite for the continued investigation of the effects of space flight on living organisms. Capsule recovered 52 deg 17 min N, 65 deg 30 min E. Cosmos 1129 satellite carried biological and radiation physics experiment packages from Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the German Democratic Republic, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Additional Details: Cosmos 1129.

• 1983 December 14 - Cosmos 1514 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 211 km (131 mi). Apogee: 255 km (158 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 89.20 min. Duration: 5.00 days.
  Biological experiments. Continued investigation of the influence of space flight factors on living organisms. Carried monkeys Abrek and Bion. Capsule recovered 52 deg 42 min N, 62 deg 48 min E. The first U.S.S.R. orbital flight of a non-human primate was accomplished on the Cosmos 1514 mission. Two monkeys flew on the mission, together with several pregnant rats. More than 60 experiments were performed by investigators from Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, France, the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. U.S. scientists conducted three experiments on the primates and another experiment on the rat subjects. Additional Details: Cosmos 1514.

• 1985 July 10 - Cosmos 1667 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 5,700 kg (12,500 lb). Perigee: 206 km (128 mi). Apogee: 262 km (162 mi). Inclination: 82.40 deg. Period: 89.20 min. Duration: 6.90 days.
  Biological research. Carried monkeys Verniy and Gordiy. Continued investigations of the influence of space flight factors on living organisms and radiation physics research. Cosmos 1667 was the second USSR biosatellite mission with a primate payload. Cosmos 1667 also featured a large rodent payload, however the U.S. only conducted a single experiment cardiovascular experiment on one of the two flight monkeys. Mission parameters were very similar to those of Cosmos 1514. Countries participating in the mission included the USSR, U.S., France, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. Additional Details: Cosmos 1667.

• 1987 September 29 - Cosmos 1887 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 214 km (132 mi). Apogee: 382 km (237 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.50 min. Duration: 13.00 days.
  Biological research. Carried monkeys Drema and Erosha. Continued investigations of the influence of space flight factors on living organisms and radiation physics research. Capsule recovered 62 deg 47 min N, 112 deg 26 min E (?). Additional Details: Cosmos 1887.

• 1989 September 15 - Cosmos 2044 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 203 km (126 mi). Apogee: 264 km (164 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 89.20 min. Duration: 14.00 days.
  29 US/USSR life science experiments conducted on monkeys, insects, plants, fish, rats. Carried monkeys Zhankonya and Zabiyaka. Cosmos 2044 was the seventh Soviet Biosatellite to orbit the Earth with joint U.S./U.S.S.R. experiments onboard. Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Canada, Poland, Britain, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the European Space Agency also participated in the mission. The joint U.S./U.S.S.R. experiments were conducted on two rhesus monkeys and ten rats that were flown onboard the Biosatellite. The biological payload on the spacecraft also included fish, amphibians, insects, worms, protozoans, cell cultures and plants. Last launch from LC41. Additional Details: Cosmos 2044.

• 1992 December 29 - Cosmos 2229 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 216 km (134 mi). Apogee: 372 km (231 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.40 min. Duration: 12.00 days.
  Biological research; carried monkeys Ivasha and Krosha. International study of the adaptation of living organisms to conditions of space flight. After 12 days in Earth orbit, the capsule was recovered 50 deg 46 min N, 73 deg 08 min E, about 100 kilometers north of the city of Karaganda. The Cosmos 2229 mission was also referred to as Bion 10, because it was the tenth in a series of Soviet/Russian unmanned satellites carrying biological experiments. Additional Details: Cosmos 2229.

• 1996 December 24 - Bion No. 11 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/4. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Perigee: 216 km (134 mi). Apogee: 375 km (233 mi). Inclination: 62.80 deg. Period: 90.40 min. Duration: 15.00 days.
  Biological research. Carried monkeys Lalik and Multik.