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Kosmos 31
Mission type Technology
Cosmic ray
Operator VNIIEM
COSPAR ID 1964-028A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.00803
Mission duration136 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type DS-MT
Manufacturer Yuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kg [1]
Start of mission
Launch date6 June 1964, 06:00:00 GMT
Rocket Kosmos-2I 63S1
Launch site Kapustin Yar, Mayak-2
End of mission
Decay date20 October 1964
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric [2]
Regime Low Earth
Perigee altitude222 km
Apogee altitude492 km
Inclination49.0°
Period91.6 minutes
Epoch6 juin 1964
 

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. [3] It also carried a scientific research package as a secondary payload, which was used to study cosmic rays. [3]

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket [4] from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 06:00 GMT on 6 June 1964. [5]

Kosmos 31 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 222 kilometres (138 mi), an apogee of 492 kilometres (306 mi), 49.0° of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.6 minutes. It decayed from orbit on 20 October 1964. [6] Kosmos 31 was the second of three DS-MT satellites to be launched. The first, DS-MT No.1, was lost in a launch failure on 1 June 1963, and the third will be Kosmos 51, which will be launched on 9 December 1964. [7]

See also

References

  1. ^ https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1964-028A - 27 February 2020
  2. ^ https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1964-028A - 27 February 2020
  3. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "DS-MT". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  4. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  5. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  6. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  7. ^ Wade, Mark. "DS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2009.