Kosmos 176
Soviet radar calibration target satellite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kosmos 176 (Russian: Космос 176 meaning Cosmos 176), also known as DS-P1-Yu No.10 was a Soviet satellite which was used as a radar calibration target for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. It was a 400 kilograms (880 lb) spacecraft,[1] was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Office, and launched in 1967 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme.[3]
| Mission type | ABM radar target |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1967-086A |
| SATCAT no. | 02942 |
| Mission duration | 173 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-P1-Yu |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 400 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 12 September 1967 17:00:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Plesetsk, Site 133/3 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 3 March 1968 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 196 km |
| Apogee altitude | 1525 km |
| Inclination | 81.9° |
| Period | 102.5 minutes |
| Epoch | 12 September 1967 |
A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 176 from Site 133/3 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome.[4] The launch occurred at 17:00:00 GMT on 12 September 1967, and resulted in Kosmos 176's successful deployment into low Earth orbit.[5] Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1967-086A.[1]
Kosmos 176 was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 196 kilometres (122 mi), an apogee of 1,525 kilometres (948 mi), an inclination of 81.9°, and an orbital period of 102.5 minutes.[2] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 3 March 1968.[6] It was the tenth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[3] and the ninth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[7]
