 | Yantar multi-return
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Other Designations: Yantar FR6. Article Number: 17F12. Manufacturer's Designation: Yantar-6K. Code Name: Don. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Destination: Surveillance Orbit. Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Manufacturer: Kozlov. Orlets-1 was a multi-purpose military reconnaissance satellite, designed for both close-look and survey missions, equipped with a panoramic camera, launched by the Soyuz-U2 launch vehicle, equipped with 8 film return capsules, and having a design life of 60 days Following evaluation of flight trials in April-May 1977 it was concluded that the Yantar-2K was not capable of providing strategic warning of attack. Therefore three additional variants were developed, one of them the wide-spectrum detail and survey satellite Orlets. This featured a panoramic camera and drew on features of an existing draft project designated Yantar-6K. The redesigned spacecraft would be expandable, with Phase 1 (Orlets-1) being launched by the Soyuz-U2 launch vehicle, equipped with 8 film return capsules and having a design life of 60 days. Phase 2 (Orlets-2) would be launched by the new, much more powerful Zenit launch vehicle, be equipped with 22 return capsules, and had a 180 day design life. The draft project was completed in the late 1980's; flight trials began in 1989 and system did not go into service until the 1990's. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, the satellite had to be switched to the less-capable Soyuz-U launch vehicle and the flight duration was extended to 100 to 120 days (presumably at the expense of fewer return capsules). As in the case of other Yantars, after returning multiple film capsules, the spacecraft was deorbited. Typical orbital profile was an inclination 64.9 degrees with an altitude of 207-323 km. Only six were flown between the first flight Cosmos 2031 (1989) and the latest (Cosmos 2343, 1997). Typical orbit: 178 x 298 km, 62.4 deg inclinaton. Mass: 6,530 kg (14,390 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U, Soyuz 11A511U2.
Orlets-1 Chronology - 1977 May 1 - Council of Chief Designers reconsiders Yantar Soviet reconnsat designs -
Flight trials of the Yantar-2K indicated the satellite was not capable of providing strategic warning of attack. The planned Yantar-6K series, in development since 1969, were overweight and behind schedule. A meeting of the Council of Chief Designers at TsSKB reviewed alternative approaches. It was decided that three variants of the Yantar-2K were to be developed, one of them the high resolution Yantar-4K.
- 1997 May 15 - Cosmos 2343 - Program: Orlets. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,500 kg (14,300 lb). Perigee: 179 km (111 mi). Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Inclination: 64.90 deg. Period: 89.40 min. Duration: 123.00 days.
Long duration film return military reconnaissance satellite. After returning multiple film capsules, the spacecraft was deorbited. This satellite provided Russia with the photo reconnaisance capability after a break of 7 1/2 months. This launch came on the 40th anniversary of the first successful launch of the R-7 rocket, from which the Soyuz-U was derived. It was the 250th launch of the Soyuz-U from Baikonur, the 350th launch from Launch Complex 31, and the 666th launch of a Soyuz-U.
- 2003 August 12 - Cosmos 2399 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. Mass: 6,750 kg (14,880 lb). Perigee: 180 km (110 mi). Apogee: 289 km (179 mi). Inclination: 64.90 deg. Period: 89.20 min.
Originally to have launched September 2002; June 2003. A Russian newspaper report (Kommersant, 13 August) stated that Cosmos 2399 was a Neman (Yantar-4KS1M) imaging satellite, which used data relay satellites to return CCD imagery rather than physically recovering film. However some Western observors, when Cosmos 2399 raised its perigee on August 14 to 205 km and lowered the apogee to 330 km, believed this was more like the standard operational orbit for an Orlets-1 Don 17F12 film-return capsule imaging satellite. This seemed confirmed when debris was tracked around the satellite later on, which was then said to be due to a failed film capsule recovery attempt. Destroyed in orbit on December 9 after completing its mission.
Bibliography and Further Reading - Sorokin, V, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "Yantarnaya istoriya-2", No. 11, 1999, p. 71..
- Grahn, Sven, Sven Grahn's Space History Pages, . Sven Grahn's occasional essays on specific topics of the Russian and Chinese space programs are outstanding. Accessed at: http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/.
- Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "Rossiya. V Polyote 'Kosmos-2343'", 1997, Issue 10, page 35.
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
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