On June 7, 2007 Russia successfully launched Soyuz-U rocket from the Plesetsk launch site. The Cosmos-2427 satellite delivered into orbit is an optical reconnaissance satellite of the Kobalt-M type.
The launch was performed from the Plesetsk launch site by the Space Forces crews at 22:00 MSK (18:00 UTC). Cosmos-2427 received international designation 2007-022A and NORAD catalog number 31595. According to NORAD data, Cosmos-2420 was deployed in an orbit with inclination of 67.15 degrees, orbital period of about 89.6 minutes, apogee of 360 km, and perigee of 180 km.
This is the third Kobalt-M launch – previous ones took place in September 2004 (Cosmos-2410) and May 3 2006 (Cosmos-2420). Kobalt-M satellites, like their Yantar-4S2/Kobalt predecessors, use returnable film capsules to deliver information to the Earth. Nominal lifetime of these satellites is about 60 days.
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Pavel,
Do you have any information on what this satellite will be taking pictures of?
I don't think there is anything specific - this is part of a plan to launch a satellite a year, not a response to some kind of event.
I wonder what is the effective resolution of this satellite. I have not been able to find much information on the Kobalt-M. However, I have read that some Russian satellites have 1/3 meter resolution. Do you think that is the case with this class?
It's surprising they're still using those capsules to return film back to Earth. Surely it can't be cheap.
Today, 07.06.15, at 6:29 Msk, the launch of 'Dnepr' (a modified SS-18 Satan missile) with European TerraSAR-X satellite, will take place.
> Today, 07.06.15, at 6:29 Msk, the launch of 'Dnepr' (a modified SS-18 Satan missile) with European TerraSAR-X satellite, will take place.
- It was reported that launch was successful; the 1346 kg satellite was delivered at sun-synchronous orbit.
- This launch was conducted using a modified 'Dnepr' launcher, with enlarged top part, allowing to accommodate satellites with more than 5 metres unit length and 2,7 metres unit diameter.
How do you know it is Kobalt-M? Do you actually have confirmation, or it is pure speculation? I doubt its film return type, its more like millitary version of Resurs-DK which on that altitutde would have 0.45 m resolution and life span of 1-1.5 year. Thats why Russian Army launch this type of spacecraft every year. I really dont see of what military use would be film return type lasting only 2 months, with no tactical use whatsoever.
It is more of an educated guess, but it is compatible with everything that we know about the satellite. A "Resurs-DK"-class satellite may still fly later this year - it is possible that it's the Persona spacecraft that was mentioned some time ago. The launch is scheduled for the third quarter of 2007.
Just one more thing. Resurs-DK is probably civil version of the spacecraft launched on june, 7th 2007.
I wrote an article on wikipedia with lots of technical details you wont find on other sites devoted for Resurs-DK. All data I found is on interent I just put them in one article .
There you can see a downsizesed preview image of the US Ramstein Air Base, Germany from april, 21st 2007 04:56 PM GMT
This image is obviously taken for the Russian Army. The image is low res, and airbase is located in the image center. Anyone interested can buy this image from NTs OMZ here
It would not surprise me at all to find out it's a film-dropper. They built a boat load of those way back in the way-back. Our approach was to upgrade optics and then upgrade from film to near-real-time electronic images downlinked to our groundstations. Their approach was to create a ton of the basic satellite and then upgrade optics and film together so they didn't have to worry about additional development and integration costs. I've got buddies at the skin-paint tracking sites we run that swear up and down they still see what appear to be canisters seperating from the spacecraft and tracking on a trajectory that would put them in or around Siberia. They probably also have secondary payloads on those satellites that extend the usefulness, but at that orbit, they will naturally decay in 16 - 18 months and burn in anyway.
Greg, let assume that this classifed cargo is indeed modernized old Kobalt leftover from Soviet era, ("M" in the name stands for "modernized") and ask our slef what would they modernize?!?! Most reasonable modification would be to retain platform and optics and only change focal plane unit with new one containing CCD's, put new communications equipment and computers, modify platform a little bit and thats all.
If you know russian you can read this article:
http://www.mn.ru/issue.php?2006-18-24
I wont translate all, only important part. General Vladimir Popovkin said: "Kobalt-M has shortened blindness period of the Russian Army from 6 weeks to 4 days."
Four days is a typical revisit rate of the satellite and 6 weeks is film-dropping period of old Kobalts. He didnt said that Kobalt-M is electro-optical but only other alternative is that Kobalt-M contains enough film-canisters to drop every 4 days. That would mean atleast 100 canisters for 400 days mission (in the same article there is a hint that Kobalt-M should be operation for atleast a year).
Kobalt-M is electro-optical allright. Ground resolution is probably 0.4 meters from 180 km altitute at nadir.
I really dont understand why all refer to Kobalt-M as film-dropper.
> Kobalt-M is electro-optical allright.
- Maybe, it's 'electro-optical + film'? :-)
It is possible, but that is more expensive solution. Anyway, let assume that Kobalt-M use the same sensor array as Resurs-DK. That array is about 36,000 pixels wide and let assume that swath width is 9 km at 180 km at nadir. 36,000 divied by 9,000 would mean 0.25 meters resolution. Depending on time of day, atmospheric conditions and focusing accuracy that resolution is really feasable.