Kosmos 135

Kosmos 135 (Russian: Космос 135 meaning Cosmos 135), also known as DS-U2-MP No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1966 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 355 kilograms (783 lb) spacecraft,^[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Office, and was used to investigate micrometeoroids and particles of dust in space.^[3]

Kosmos 135

Mission type	Micrometeoroid research
COSPAR ID	1966-112A
SATCAT no.	02612
Mission duration	121 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	DS-U2-MP
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoye
Launch mass	355 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	12 December 1966 20:37:59 GMT[2]
Rocket	Kosmos-2I 63SM
Launch site	Kapustin Yar, Site 86/1
Contractor	Yuzhnoye
End of mission
Decay date	12 April 1967
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric[2]
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	253 km
Apogee altitude	649 km
Inclination	48.5°
Period	93.5 minutes
Epoch	12 December 1966

A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 135 into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from Site 86/1 at Kapustin Yar.^[4] The launch occurred at 20:37:59 GMT on 12 December 1966, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.^[5] Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1966-112A. The North American Air Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 02612.^[1]

Kosmos 135 was the first of two DS-U2-MP satellites to be launched, the other being Kosmos 163 (5 June 1967).^[3][6] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 253 kilometres (157 mi), an apogee of 649 kilometres (403 mi), an inclination of 48.5°, and an orbital period of 93.5 minutes.^[2] It decayed from its orbit and reentered in the atmosphere on 12 April 1967.^[7]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• 1966 in spaceflight