Kosmos 31

Kosmos 31
Mission type Technology
Operator VNIIEM
COSPAR ID 1964-028A
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type DS-MT
Manufacturer Yuzhnoye
Launch mass 325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 6 June 1964, 06:00 (1964-06-06UTC06Z) UTC
Rocket Kosmos-2I 63S1
Launch site Kapustin Yar Mayak-2
End of mission
Decay date 20 October 1964 (1964-10-21)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee 221 kilometres (137 mi)
Apogee 485 kilometres (301 mi)
Inclination 48.9 degrees
Period 91.7 minutes

Kosmos 31 (Russian: Космос 31 meaning Cosmos 31), also known as DS-MT No.2 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1964 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. Its primary mission was to demonstrate an electric gyrodyne orientation system.[1] It also carried a scientific research package as a secondary payload, which was used to study cosmic rays.[1]

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket[2] from pad 2 of the Mayak Launch Complex at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 06:00 UTC on 6 June 1964.[3]

Kosmos 31 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 221 kilometres (137 mi), an apogee of 485 kilometres (301 mi), 48.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.7 minutes.[1] It decayed from orbit on 20 October 1964.[4] Kosmos 31 was the second of three DS-MT satellites to be launched. The first was lost in a launch failure in June 1963, and the third was Kosmos 51, which was launched in December 1964.[1][5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wade, Mark. "DS-MT". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  3. Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  5. Wade, Mark. "DS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
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