Kosmos 1581

Kosmos 1581 (Russian: Космос 1581 meaning Cosmos 1581) is a Soviet US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 1984 as part of the Soviet military's Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]

Kosmos 1581

Mission type	Early warning
COSPAR ID	1984-071A
SATCAT no.	15095
Mission duration	4 years [1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	US-K [2]
Launch mass	1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	3 July 1984, 21:31 (1984-07-03UTC21:31Z) UTC
Rocket	Molniya-M/2BL[2]
Launch site	Plesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3]
End of mission
Deactivated	19 August 1985[1]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Molniya [2]
Perigee altitude	679 kilometres (422 mi)[4]
Apogee altitude	39,673 kilometres (24,652 mi)[4]
Inclination	62.9 degrees[4]
Period	717.74 minutes[4]

Kosmos 1581 was launched from Site 43/4 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Russian SSR.[3] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 21:31 UTC on 3 July 1984.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1984-071A.[4] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 15095.[4]

See also

• List of Kosmos satellites (1501–1750)
• List of R-7 launches (1980-1984)
• 1984 in spaceflight
• List of Oko satellites

References

1. Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10: 21–60. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-15.
2. "US-K (73D6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
4. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 April 2012.