 | Exploded view-Zenit
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Other Designations: Resurs-T. Article Number: 11F690. Manufacturer's Designation: 2KM. Code Name: Gektor, Gektor-Priroda. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Destination: Surveillance Orbit. Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Manufacturer: Kozlov. Planning began in mid-1967 for military systems to enter service through 1975. These included this improved area survey model of the Zenit-2 reconnaissance satellite, accepted into service in 1970. The special reconnaissance system Ftor-2 of the Zenit-2 was replaced by the more capable system Ftor-2R3. Typical orbital profile: inclination 65 degrees, 204-288 km alt; inclination 62.8 degrees, 200-294 km alt; inclination 51.8 degrees, 202-256 km alt; inclination 71.3 degrees, 205-316 km alt; inclination 72.8 degrees, 203-312 km alt; inclination 81.3 degrees, 210-232 km alt. Designed duration: 12 days. Transmission frequencies observed in West: 19.995 PDM; 66.2 (Tral). The Resurs-T designation was applied to both Zenit-2M Gektor-Priroda missions and Zenit-8 cartographic missions with civilian components. Typical orbit: 205 km x 286 km at 51.6 to 81.4 degrees inclin. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U, Voskhod 11A57.
Zenit-2M Chronology - 1964 June 18 - USSR five-year military space plan issued. -
Ministry of Defence Decree 'On military space programs for 1964-69, including the R spaceplane' was issued. The decree was issued by Defence Ministry Marshal Rodiono Yakovlevich Malinovksiy. Included in this plan were new versions of the automatic Zenit, Morya-1 (US series) spacecraft, the Spiral spaceplane, the Soyuz-R manned combat spacecraft, and others. Chelomei's Raketoplan spaceplane was cancelled.
- 1973 October 3 - Cosmos 596 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Voskhod 11A57. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 206 km (128 mi). Apogee: 287 km (178 mi). Inclination: 65.40 deg. Period: 89.40 min. Duration: 6.00 days.
Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule. First test of small film return capsules planned for Yantar spacecraft. SpK capsule FEU-170 No. 1L experienced an electrical short circuit, which led to failure to separate the shell of the capsule after reentry, preventing parachute deployment. The capsule crashed into the ground.
Bibliography and Further Reading - Kamanin, N P, Skritiy kosmos, Infortext, Moscow, 1995. The diary of the Commander of the Soviet Cosmonaut Team in the 1960's - a source of great insights into the space program. Four volumes issued to date.
- 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.
- Sorokin, Vladislav, Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "'Yantarnaya istoriya'", 1997, Issue 17, page 57.
- Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "Apparati TsSKB dlya issledobanniya prirodnikh resursov Zemli", 1996, Issue 6, page 40.
- Siddiqi, Asif A, The Soviet Space Race With Apollo, University Press of Florida, 2003. ISBN: 0813026288. The definitive history of the Soviet manned space program in the 1960's to the early 1970's. Originally published as the the latter part of 'Challenge to Apollo' by NASA in 2000 as NASA SP-2000-4408. More at amazon.com...
- Melnik, T G, Voenno-Kosmicheskiy Siliy, Nauka, Moscow, 1997.. Two-volume official history of the (now defunct) Russin space forces.
- 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/.
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