Kondor (satellite)
Series of Russian satellites
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kondor, GRAU index 14F133, is a series of Earth imaging or military reconnaissance satellites developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya for the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces which in 2015 became the Russian Space Forces and export customers.[2] Satellites for the Russian military are designated "Kondor", whilst those for export are designated Kondor-E.
Radar imaging
![](#/media/File:"Kondor-E"_reconnaissance_satellite_on_MAKS-2021_airshow.jpg) Kondor-E (Export) | |
| Manufacturer | NPO Mashinostroyeniya |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Applications | Optical imaging Radar imaging |
| Specifications | |
| Launch mass | 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Design life | 3-5 years |
| Production | |
| Status | In production |
| On order | 3 |
| Built | 4 |
| Launched | 4 |
| Operational | 3 |
| Maiden launch | Kosmos 2487 (Kondor No.202)[1] 27 June 2013 |
| Last launch | Kondor-FKA No.2 29 November 2024 |
Kondor satellites are equipped to carry either synthetic aperture radar or electro-optical imaging payloads, with the first satellite, and are launched using the Strela carrier rocket, developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya from retired UR-100NUTTKh missiles.[3]
A mass simulator named Gruzomaket (aka Kondor-E-GVM, COSPAR 2003-055A [4]) was launched on 5 December 2003, and almost ten years later, on 27 June 2013, the first spacecraft was launched. Kondor No.202 (aka Kosmos 2487, Kondor 1, COSPAR 2013-032A[5]) was operated by the Russian military,[1] and carried a radar imaging payload.[6] It was the first radar imaging satellite to be operated by the Russian military after the Soviet RORSAT and Almaz-T series. The first Kondor-E (Kondor-E 1, COSPAR 2014-084A[7]) launched 19 December 2014 for South Africa.[8]
Civilian versions of the satellite have been designed under the name Kondor-FKA or Kondor-FKA-M.[9][10] The launch of the first Kondor-FKA satellite took place on 26 May 2023,[11] while the launch of the second took place on 29 November 2024, both from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.[12]
