Kosmos 31

Kosmos 31 (Russian: Космос 31 meaning Cosmos 31), also known as DS-MT No.2 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1964 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. Its primary mission was to demonstrate an electric gyrodyne orientation system.^[3] It also carried a scientific research package as a secondary payload, which was used to study cosmic rays.^[3]

Kosmos 31

Mission type	Technology Cosmic ray
Operator	VNIIEM
COSPAR ID	1964-028A
SATCAT no.	00803
Mission duration	136 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	DS-MT
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoye
Launch mass	325 kg[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	6 June 1964, 06:00:00 GMT
Rocket	Kosmos-2I 63S1
Launch site	Kapustin Yar, Mayak-2
End of mission
Decay date	20 October 1964
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric[2]
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	222 km
Apogee altitude	492 km
Inclination	49.0°
Period	91.6 minutes
Epoch	6 juin 1964

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63S1 rocket^[4] from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 06:00 GMT on 6 June 1964.^[5]

Kosmos 31 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 222 kilometres (138 mi), an apogee of 492 kilometres (306 mi), 49.0° of inclination, and an orbital period of 91.6 minutes. It decayed from orbit on 20 October 1964.^[6] Kosmos 31 was the second of three DS-MT satellites to be launched. The first, DS-MT No.1, was lost in a launch failure on 1 June 1963, and the third is Kosmos 51, which was launched on 9 December 1964.^[7]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• 1964 in spaceflight