| Mission type | communications satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | VKS |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-043C  |
| SATCAT no. | 37154 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (NPO PM) |
| Launch mass | 225 kilograms (496 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 8 September 2010, 03:30 (2010-09-08UTC03:30Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Rokot/Briz-KM |
| Launch site | Plesetsk 133/3 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth Orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 1,509 kilometres (938 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,498 kilometres (931 mi) |
| Inclination | 82.4 degrees |
| Period | 116.06 minutes |
Kosmos 2468 (Russian: Космос 2468 meaning Cosmos 2468) is a Russian military communications satellite which was launched in 2010 by the Russian Space Forces. It was launched with Kosmos 2467 and a Gonets-M civilian communication satellite.
Launch
Kosmos 2468 was launched from Site 133/3 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. It was launched by a Rockot carrier rocket with a Briz-KM upper stage at 03:30 UTC on its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 2010-043C. The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 37154.
Strela-3 and Rodnik
Kosmos 2468 and Kosmos 2467 are Strela-3 communications satellite. One of them is a Strela-3, and one is a Strela-3M. It is not known which is which. They are described as store-dump communications satellites which receive information from the ground when they pass overhead, and store that information until they pass over the ground station they deliver the information to. The satellites are in low Earth orbit going round the Earth every 116 minutes. A full deployment of Strela-3 craft should consist of twelve satellites. One satellite has the GRAU index of 17F13, as a Strela-3, and the other has a GRAU index of 17F132 as a Strela-3M.
Strela-3 has a civilian variant called Gonets which is used by the Russian government for communication in remote areas. It can take between two minutes and six hours to deliver messages.
The previous satellites of this class, Kosmos 2451, Kosmos 2452 and Kosmos 2453 were launched together in July 2009.
See also
References
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Strela-3 (14F13)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- ^ Podvig, Pavel; Zuang, Hui (2008). Russian and Chinese Responses to US Military Plans in Space (PDF). Cambridge, Massachusetts: American Academy of Arts and Sciences. ISBN 978-0-87724-068-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-04-28.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Strela-3M (Rodnik, 14F132)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ^ Pavel, Podvig (2010-09-08). "Gonets-M, Strela-3, and Strela-3M satellites are in orbit". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
- Ракета "Рокот" с четырьмя спутниками успешно стартовала с Плесецка [Rocket 'Rockot' was successfully launched from Plesetsk with four satellites] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- Pavel, Podvig (2009-07-06). "Rockot launched three communication satellites". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
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