 | Soviet Reconnsats
|
Other Designations: Orlets-1. Article Number: 11F693. Code Name: Oktant, Kobalt-M. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Destination: Surveillance Orbit. Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Manufacturer: Kozlov. Flight trials of the Yantar-2K indicated the satellite was not capable of providing strategic warning of attack. A meeting of the Council of Chief Designers at TsSKB in May 1977 reviewed alternative approaches. Three additional variants were to be developed, one of them the high resolution Yantar-4K. The project was to be implemented in two phases: the Yantar-4K1, launched by the existing Soyuz-U launch vehicle, and the Yantar-4K2, to be launched by the new more powerful Zenit launch vehicle.
The Yantar-4K1 would increase the satellite's operational lifetime by 50%, to 45 days, and had an improved camera system, the PO Krasnogorskiy Zavod's Zhemchug-18. The -4K could image targets 60 degrees left or right of the ground track and more film than earlier versions. Externally the spacecraft were difficult to distinguish, and the masses were essentially the same. Therefore the same Soyuz 11A511U rocket and 11S516 payload fairing could be used for the Yantar-4K1.
The project went smoothly and rapidly. The first flight model was ready only two years later. The first launch in the flight trials was in April 1979, for 30 days. A second full-duration flight a year later was also successful, leading to the acceptance test flight in October 1980, also without problem. Yantar-4K1 was accepted into service in 1982 with the code name Oktan. Due to capacity problems as TsKB in Samara, production was handed over to KB Arsenal from 1984.
The Yantar-4K1 ultimately replaced the Zenit reconnaissance satellite series, with the final military flight of the Zenit in October 1980. Zenit civilian models continued in use after the retirement of the Yantar-4K1 (Oblik, Resurs F-1 and F-2). From 1984 Yantar-4K1 was flown for durations of up to 60 days. Launches continued into 1999. Typical orbital profile was: inclination 64.9, 67.1, or 70 degrees with altitude of 170-340 km. Transmission frequency observed in the West was 240.5 PCM-FM. After 2000, improved Yantar-4K1's were flown, and referred to in the Russian press as Kobalt-M's. The Kobalt code name had been applied originally to the cancelled Yantar-4K2 spacecraft which was to have been launched by the Zenit-2 booster.
Typical orbit: 171 x 334 km, 65.7 deg inclinaton. Length: 6.30 m (20.60 ft). Maximum Diameter: 2.70 m (8.80 ft). Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
Yantar-4K1 Chronology - 1967 July 21 - US Project reassigned; R-36-O booster development approved; Yantar-2K and Zvevda 7K-VI approved. - Launch Vehicle: Soyuz, Tsiklon.
Decree 715-240 'On the Creation of Space Systems for Naval Reconnaissance Comprising the US sat and the R-36-based booster -further work on the US naval reconnaissance satellite, approval of work on the Yantar-2K, and course of work on 7K-VI Zvezda'. An entire family of Yantar spacecraft was proposed by Kozlov’s design bureau during the initial development; information on two film return models has been declassified. Yantar was initially derived from the Soyuz spacecraft, including systems developed for the Soyuz VI military model. During design and development this changed until it had very little in common with Soyuz. Following numerous problems in the first flight tests of the Soyuz 7K-OK, Kozlov ordered a complete redesign of the 7K-VI manned military spacecraft. The new spacecraft, with a crew of two, would have a total mass of 6.6 tonnes and could operate for a month in orbit. The new design switched the positions of the Soyuz descent module and the orbital modules and was 300 kg too heavy for the standard 11A511 launch vehicle. Therefore Kozlov designed a new variant of the Soyuz launch vehicle, the 11A511M. The project was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, with first flight to be in 1968 and operations to begin in 1969. The booster design, with unknown changes to the basic Soyuz, did not go into full production.
- 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.
- 1983 November 30 - Cosmos 1511 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Perigee: 182 km (113 mi). Apogee: 332 km (206 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 89.60 min. Duration: 44.00 days.
Photo surveillance; 2 small film capsules recovered in course of flight and main reentry capsule with remaining film, camera, and computer systems at end of flight. Final flight of the Yantar-2K/Yantar-4K1 series. All 12 Yantar-4K1 flights were completely successful.
- 1988 May 12 - Cosmos 1942 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Perigee: 166 km (103 mi). Apogee: 356 km (221 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 89.70 min. Duration: 53.00 days.
- 2004 September 24 - Cosmos 2410 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,700 kg (14,700 lb). Perigee: 208 km (129 mi). Apogee: 348 km (216 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 90.10 min. Duration: 107.00 days.
Film-return reconnaisance satellite. Maneuvered on October 1 to a 213 x 330 km orbit. Believed to be an improved Yantar-4K1 with a longer lifetime - and given the code name 'Kobalt' previously applied to the defunct Yantar-4K2 system. When re-entry was commanded after only 107 days in orbit, there was speculation that problems had arisen with the satellite. Sources claimed the satellite had some kind of control problem, which was brought under control, and the two smaller film return capsules were successfully returned. But when the control problem reoccurred, it was decided to bring the main re-entry capsule down early. At retrofire, two objects were tracked as having separated from the spacecraft. Russian search teams were unable to locate the capsule after re-entry. Further launches of the satellite were put on hold until a State Commission could determine the causes of the failure.
- 2006 May 3 - Cosmos 2420 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,700 kg (14,700 lb). Perigee: 178 km (110 mi). Apogee: 349 km (216 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 89.80 min.
Imaging reconnaissance satellite, probably the second Kobalt-M satellite, built by the Arsenal factory. The satellite carried small film recovery capsules and one large reentry vehicle, recovered at the end of the mission with the camera and more film.
- 2007 June 7 - Cosmos 2427 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,700 kg (14,700 lb). Perigee: 167 km (103 mi). Apogee: 339 km (210 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 89.80 min. Duration: 76.13 days.
Recoverable capsule military optical reconnaisance satellite. Orbit was raised on 11 June to 182 km x 354 km; decayed until 19 June, when it was lowered to 175 km x 325 km. On 28 June the orbit was raised to 183 km x 348 km; on 5 July to 169 km x 375 km. Landed at 21:00 GMT on 22 August after a 76-day mission.
Bibliography:- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to 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.
- Sorokin, Vladislav, Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "'Yantarnaya istoriya'", 1997, Issue 17, page 57.
- Voevodin, Sergey A, VSA072 - Space Apparatus, "Sergey A. Voevodin's Reports", Web Address when accessed: http://home.attbi.com/~rusaerog/spacecraft.html.
- Lissov, I, and Tarasenko, M, Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "Zapushchen Kosmos-2348", 1997, Issue 26, page 33.
- NASA GSFC Orbital Parameters,
- McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.
- National Space Science Center Planetary Page, As of 19 February 1999.. Web Address when accessed: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planetary_home.html.
- Sorokin, V, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "Yantarnaya istoriya-2", No. 11, 1999, p. 71..
- Siddiqi, Asif A, The Soviet Space Race With Apollo, University Press of Florida, 2003.
- NASA/GSFC Orbital Information Group Website, Web Address when accessed: http://oig1.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
- Space-Launcher.com, Orbital Report News Agency. Web Address when accessed: http://www.orbireport.com/Log.html.
Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.
© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.
|