Kosmos 2241
Russian military early warning satellite
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Kosmos 2241 (Russian: Космос 2241 meaning Cosmos 2241) was a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite launched in 1993 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite was designed to detect missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[2]
| Mission type | Early warning |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1993-022A |
| SATCAT no. | 22594 |
| Mission duration | 4 years[1] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | US-K[2] |
| Launch mass | 1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)[3] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 April 1993, 19:07 UTC |
| Rocket | Molniya-M/2BL[2] |
| Launch site | Plesetsk Cosmodrome[2][3] |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 8 March 2022 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Molniya [2] |
| Perigee altitude | 663 kilometres (412 mi)[4] |
| Apogee altitude | 39,690 kilometres (24,660 mi)[4] |
| Inclination | 62.9 degrees[4] |
| Period | 717.76 minutes[4] |
Kosmos 2241 was launched from Site 43/4 at Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.[5] A Molniya-M carrier rocket with a 2BL upper stage was used for the launch, which took place at 19:07 UTC on 6 April 1993.[3] The launch successfully placed the satellite into a molniya orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 1993-051A.[3] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 22594.[3]
On 8 March 2022, Kosmos 2241 decayed from orbit and reentered the atmosphere.[6]
