Kosmos 115

Kosmos 115
A Zenit reentry capsule
NamesZenit 2-37
Mission typeOptical imaging reconnaissance
OperatorOKB-1
COSPAR ID1966-033A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.2147
Mission duration7 days, 22 hours and 19 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeZenit-2
ManufacturerOKB-1
Launch mass4730 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date20 April 1966, 10:48:00 GMT
RocketVostok-2
Launch siteBaikonur 31/6
ContractorOKB-1
End of mission
DisposalRecovered
Landing date28 April 1966, 09:07 GMT[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric[3]
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude201 km
Apogee altitude294 km
Inclination65.0°
Period89.3 minutes
Epoch20 April 1966

Kosmos 115 (Russian: Космос 115 meaning Cosmos 115) or Zenit-2 No.37 was a Soviet, first generation, low resolution, optical film-return reconnaissance satellite launched in 1966. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 115 was the thirty-seventh of eighty-one such satellites to be launched[4][5] and had a mass of 4,730 kilograms (10,430 lb).

Kosmos 115 was launched by a Vostok-2 rocket[6] flying from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch took place at 10:48 GMT on 20 April 1966,[7] and following its successful arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its Kosmos designation; along with the International Designator 1966-033A and the Satellite Catalog Number 02147.[1]

Kosmos 115 was operated in a low Earth orbit, at an epoch of 22 April 1966, it had a perigee of 201 kilometres (125 mi), an apogee of 294 kilometres (183 mi), an inclination of 65.0° and an orbital period of 89.3 minutes.[3][8] After eight days in orbit, Kosmos 115 was deorbited, with its return capsule descending under parachute and landing at 09:07 GMT on 28 April 1966 and the capsule was recovered by Soviet force. There was abnormal operation of a SA-10 camera. Due to a camera malfunction, the satellite failed to take all of the images it had been programmed to produce.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Cosmos 115: Display 1966-033A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b Christie, Robert. "Zenit Satellites - Zenit-2 variant". Zarya.info. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Cosmos 115: Trajectory 1966-033A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Zenit-2 (11F61)". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  5. ^ Wade, Mark. "Zenit-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  6. ^ Wade, Mark. "Vostok 8A92". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  7. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  8. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 3 January 2014.