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Strela-1
Article Number: 11F610. Code Name: Pchela. Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Destination: Medium Earth Orbit. Nation: Russia. Manufacturer: Reshetnev.

Prototype of the large satellite element of the Strela system, which consisted of a large constellation of medium orbit store-dump satellites that provided survivable communications for Soviet military and intelligence forces. The system was developed experimentally in the 1960's, with flight tests of 3 of the Strela-2 model from 1965 to 1968. The production Strela-2M was flown beginning in 1970.

Typical orbit: 775 km x 800 km at 74 degrees inclination. Length: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Maximum Diameter: 2.04 m (6.68 ft). Span: 2.04 m (6.68 ft). Mass: 800 kg (1,760 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65, Kosmos 65S3.

Strela-2 Chronology
  • 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.

  • 1965 December 28 - Cosmos 103 - Program: Strela. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Mass: 875 kg (1,929 lb). Perigee: 176 km (109 mi). Apogee: 179 km (111 mi). Inclination: 56.00 deg. Period: 88.00 min.

    Possible test flight.

  • 1966 November 16 - Strela-2 - Program: Strela. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. FAILURE: Launch vehicle failed to orbit - unknown cause.

  • 1967 March 24 - Cosmos 151 - Program: Strela. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Mass: 875 kg (1,929 lb). Perigee: 384 km (238 mi). Apogee: 399 km (247 mi). Inclination: 56.00 deg. Period: 92.40 min.

    Possible test flight.

  • 1968 June 15 - Strela-2 - Program: Strela. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. FAILURE: Launch vehicle failed to orbit - unknown cause.

  • 1968 August 27 - Cosmos 236 - Program: Strela. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Mass: 875 kg (1,929 lb). Perigee: 340 km (210 mi). Apogee: 348 km (216 mi). Inclination: 56.10 deg. Period: 91.40 min.

    Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

Bibliography:

  • McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
  • JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
  • Voevodin, Sergey A, VSA072 - Space Apparatus, "Sergey A. Voevodin's Reports", Web Address when accessed: http://home.attbi.com/~rusaerog/spacecraft.html.
  • McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.
  • Melnik, T G, Voenno-Kosmicheskiy Siliy, Nauka, Moscow, 1997..
  • Frolov, I, Kosmodrom, "Kratkiy istoricheskiy obzor sovietskikh (rossiyskikh) voennikh sredstv", No. 8, 1999, p. 21..
  • Siddiqi, Asif A, The Soviet Space Race With Apollo, University Press of Florida, 2003.
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