Kosmos 1867

Kosmos 1867

Illustration of Kosmos 1867
Mission type	radar ocean reconnaissance satellite (RORSAT)
Satellite of	Earth
Launch date	July 10, 1987 15:36:00 UTC
Launch vehicle	Tsyklon-2
Launch site	Baikonur Cosmodrome
Mission duration	~ 11 months
COSPAR ID	1987-060A
Mass	1,500 kg (3,307 lb)
Power	TOPAZ nuclear reactor Plasma-2 SPT electric engine
Orbital elements
Eccentricity	0.001113
Inclination	65.0°
Apoapsis	797 km (495 mi)
Periapsis	813 km (505 mi)
Orbital period	100.8 min

Kosmos 1867 (Russian: Космос 1867) is a radar ocean reconnaissance satellite (RORSAT) that was launched by the Soviet Union July 10, 1987. It was put into a high orbit about 800 km (500 mi) from the Earth's surface. Its mission was monitoring the oceans for naval and merchant vessels. It had a mission life of about eleven months. It was powered by a nuclear reactor.^[1][2][3][4]

Description

Kosmos 1867 was launched on July 10, 1987 on a Tsyklon-2 rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It was put into an orbit about 800 km (500 mi) above the Earth's surface at an inclination of 65° and a period of 100.8 minutes. Its NSSDC ID is 1987-060A, and its NORAD ID is 18187. The satellite had a mission life of about 11 months.^[1][2][4]

The satellite was powered by TOPAZ 1 nuclear reactor. This was cooled by liquid sodium-potassium, NaK, metal, it uses a high-temperature moderator containing hydrogen and highly enriched fuel. It produces electricity using a thermionic converter. It had a Plazma-2 SPT electric engine.^[3][4]

Its mission was to search the oceans for naval and merchant vessels. Unlike earlier Soviet RORSAT satellites, Kosmos 1867 and its twin, Kosmos 1818, were launched into high orbits. This avoided mishaps, such as occurred with Kosmos 954, which broke up over Canada in 1978, showering the Earth with radioactive debris.^[4]

In 1992, Kosmos 1867 had an approximate visual magnitude of 3.3.^[5]

Unlike Kosmos 1818, which generated debris when it was either hit object or a coolant tube cracked due to thermal stresses by repeated solar heating,^[6] there is no evidence of such debris from Kosmos 1867.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Cosmos 1867". Real Time Satellite Tracking. N2YO.com. http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=18187. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Cosmos 1867". NSSDC Master Catalog Search. NASA. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftOrbit.do?id=1987-060A. Retrieved 2009-01-24. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Broad, William J. (January 15, 1989), "Russians Disclose Satellites Carry New Reactor Type", New York Times, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3DB153CF936A25752C0A96F948260&sec=&spon=&&scp=1&sq=cosmos%201818&st=cse 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "New Debris Seen from Decommissioned Satellite with Nuclear Power Source" (pdf). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. NASA. January 2009. http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/pdfs/ODQNv13i1.pdf. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 
5. ^ "Spacecraft Particularly Suited for International Participation: Category I". SPACEWARN Bulletin Number 461. NASA. March 25, 1992. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacewarn/spx461-photosat.html. Retrieved 25 January 2009. 
6. ^ David, Leonard (15 January 2009). "Old Nuclear-Powered Soviet Satellite Acts Up". News. Space.com. http://www.space.com/news/090115-soviet-satellite-cosmos-1818.html. Retrieved 24 January 2009.