Meteor

The first Soviet weather satellite. Development began with a decree of 30 October 1960. Work began in 1961 at OKB-586 GKOT; in 1962 it was transferred to NII-627. Final development was completed in 1964. The Meteor system subcontractors were:

• VNII-380 GKRE Rosselevich - television
• OKB Geofizika GKOT - Khrustalev - radiometer
• NII-648 Mnatsakanian - radio technical system

The first of four launches were on Vostok-M boosters at 81.2 degree inclinations. The system finally was accepted for military service and went into operation in 1969.

Typical orbit: 465 km circular orbit, 73.1 deg inclination. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M.

• 1960 October 30 - Development begun of Meteor, the first Soviet weather satellite. -

  Work began in 1961 at OKB-586 GKOT; in 1962 it was transferred to NII-627. Final development was completed in 1964.

• 1961 October 30 - Molniya-1 and Meteor-1 satellites authorised. -

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On approval of work on the Molniya-1 communications satellite and Meteor-1 weather satellite' was issued. Thedecree authorised work on the Molniya-1M production model, providing international communications on the centimetre band. But the protoype Molniya-1 worked so well that it was taken directly into service, and the -1M was skipped.

• 1961 October 31 - Kosmos 65S3 intermediate launch vehicle development authorised. - Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3.

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On the Creation of the Space Carrier 65S3--start of work on a launch vehicle based on the R-14 for launch of the Meteor, Strela, and Pchela satellites.' was issued.

• 1964 August 28 - Cosmos 44 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 599 km (372 mi). Apogee: 778 km (483 mi). Inclination: 65.10 deg. Period: 98.50 min.

  Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1965 February 26 - Cosmos 58 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 333 km (206 mi). Apogee: 345 km (214 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 91.30 min.

  Probable weather satellite. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1965 December 17 - Cosmos 100 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 485 km (301 mi). Apogee: 547 km (339 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 95.00 min.

  Probable weather satellite. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1966 May 11 - Cosmos 118 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 316 km (196 mi). Apogee: 339 km (210 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 91.10 min.

  Probable weather satellite. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1966 June 25 - Cosmos 122 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 371 km (230 mi). Apogee: 388 km (241 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 92.10 min.

  Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1967 February 28 - Cosmos 144 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 574 km (356 mi). Apogee: 644 km (400 mi). Inclination: 81.30 deg. Period: 96.90 min.

  Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1967 April 27 - Cosmos 156 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 368 km (228 mi). Apogee: 375 km (233 mi). Inclination: 81.10 deg. Period: 92.00 min.

  Worked with Cosmos 144. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1967 July 1 - Tsiklon-2 launch vehicle authorised. - Launch Vehicle: Tsiklon.

  Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 'On use of the R-36-based launcher for the Kosmos and Meteor satellites' was issued.

• 1967 October 24 - Cosmos 184 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 409 km (254 mi). Apogee: 414 km (257 mi). Inclination: 81.20 deg. Period: 92.80 min.

  Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1968 March 14 - Cosmos 206 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 396 km (246 mi). Apogee: 405 km (251 mi). Inclination: 81.20 deg. Period: 92.60 min.

  Visual, IR cloud cover images. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1968 June 12 - Cosmos 226 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 4,730 kg (10,420 lb). Perigee: 579 km (359 mi). Apogee: 639 km (397 mi). Inclination: 81.20 deg. Period: 96.90 min.

  Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1969 February 1 - Meteor - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. FAILURE: Upper stage failure.

• 1970 January 2 - Tsiklon 3 launch vehicle development authorised. - Launch Vehicle: Tsiklon.

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On the Creation of the Carrier-Rocket 11K68 on The Basis of 11K69 RN and S5M Stage for Launch of Space Apparatus 'Tselina' and .Meteor'--approval of work on the Tsiklon-3 RN