Kosmos 15 (russian: Космос 15 meaning ''Cosmos 15'') or Zenit-2 No.9 was a Soviet optical film-return

reconnaissance satellite A reconnaissance satellite or intelligence satellite (commonly, although unofficially, referred to as a spy satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. The ...

which was launched in 1963. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 15 was the ninth of eighty-one such satellites to be launched.

Spacecraft

Kosmos 15 was a Zenit-2 satellite, a first generation, low resolution, reconnaissance satellite derived from the Vostok spacecraft used for crewed flights, the satellites were developed by OKB-1. In addition to reconnaissance, it was also used for research into

radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...

in support of the Vostok programme. It had a mass of .

Mission

The Vostok-2 rocket, serial number T15000-08, was used to launch Kosmos 15. The launch took place at 08:24 GMT on 22 April 1963, using Site 1/5 at the

Baikonur Cosmodrome The Baikonur Cosmodrome ( kk, Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, translit=Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy, ; russian: Космодром Байконур, translit=Kosmodrom Baykonur, ) is a spaceport in an area of southern Kazakhstan leased to R ...

. Following its successful arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its

Kosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

designation, along with the International Designator 1963-011A and the Satellite Catalog Number 00569. In addition to reconnaissance, Kosmos 15 carried an experiment package to measure

levels in its environment and was also used for

meteorological Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

research. Kosmos 15 was operated in a low Earth orbit. On 24 April 1963, it had a perigee of , an apogee of , with an inclination of 65.0°, and an orbital period of 89.8 minutes. Having spent five days in orbit, the spacecraft was deorbited on 27 April 1963. Its return capsule descended under parachute and was recovered by the Soviet forces in steppe in Kazakhstan.

References

Spacecraft launched in 1963 Kosmos satellites Spacecraft which reentered in 1963 Zenit-2 satellites {{USSR-spacecraft-stub

Spacecraft

Mission

See also

References