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DS
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 | DS-U3-S satellite
Credit - © Mark Wade
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Program: DS. Objective: Military. Type: ASAT. Overview: DS ('Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik') were small satellites built by Yangel's OKB-586 / KB Yuzhnoye in the Ukraine for launch by the same KB's Kosmos launch vehicles. They were used for a wide range of military and scientific research and component proving tests.
Major Events:
- 1962 March 16 - Cosmos 1. Spacecraft: DS-2. Mass: 47 kg (103 lb). Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
After five months of further work and tests to improve the reliability of the second stage, Yangel's team felt it was ready to again attempt a launch of the 63S1 booster. 63S1 s/n 6LK put a DS-2 satellite into orbit, which conducted studies of the ionosphere. This was the first successful launch of the Kosmos 63S1 launch vehicle. A decision was made after two unsuccessful launches of the DS-1 to create a simplified DS-2 spacecraft based on the equipment and structural elements of DS-1 spacecraft. The cylindrical section for mission avionics was completely omitted.
- 1962 October 20 - Cosmos 11. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Mass: 315 kg (694 lb). Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1962 December 6 - Soviet Space Plans for 1963-1964. Spacecraft: Zenit-2, Zenit-4, Soyuz A, Soyuz B, Soyuz V, Vostok.
Meeting of the Interdepartmental Soviet of the Academy of Sciences reviews space exploration plans. In the next two years, 5-6 Luna probes will be sent to the moon, including soft landers with a mass of 100 kg, and orbiters to map the surface. There will be flybys and landings of Mars and Venus. Two Zond spacecraft will study the space environment out to 20 million kilometres from the earth. In earth orbit, 10 Zenit spy satellites, 10 to 12 Vostok manned spacecraft, 4 to 6 Soyuz spacecraft, and 10 to 12 Kosmos satellites will be launched. The Kosmos will fly missions in meteorology, communications, television transmission, and heliographic, and geological studies. Kamanin finds this a good program, but it nearly all relies on a single launch pad and one-time transmission of data from a few satellites. The military plan is not reviewed; it must go through the VPK Military-Industrial Commission first. An Expert Commission is to be formed on the Soyuz spacecraft. Smirnov and Korolev have dictated a letter to Ustinov asking that eight more Vostoks be built. On the other hand, some on the general staff want 60 cosmonauts trained in the next two to three years, to support 8 to 10 flights of single-place spacecraft and 7 to 8 flights of multiplace spacecraft.
- 1963 May 22 - Cosmos 17. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Mass: 322 kg (709 lb). Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1963 August 22 - DS-A1 s/n 3. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1963 October 24 - DS-A1 s/n 4. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1965 January 30 - Cosmos 53. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Mass: 310 kg (680 lb). Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1965 February 20 - DS-A1 s/n 6. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1965 July 2 - Cosmos 70. Spacecraft: DS-A1. Mass: 250 kg (550 lb). Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.
Carried military experiments to test communications and navigation equipment needed for command and control of Soviet nuclear forces (later used on the Uragan navigation satellites). Also conducted operational monitoring of cosmic rays, radiation from nuclear tests, and natural and artifically-produced radiation belts.
- 1971 December 2 - Intercosmos 5. Spacecraft: DS-U2-IK. Mass: 340 kg (740 lb). Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K63.
Carried Czech and Soviet instruments that investigated the effects of solar activity on near-Earth radiation. Studied the radiation levels in near-Earth space, investigated dipole corpuscular streams in near space in connexion with solar activity and investigation of the nature and spectrum of low-frequency electromagnetic oscillations in natural plasma.
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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007 except where otherwise noted.
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