Kosmos 839

Kosmos 839 (Russian: Космос 839 meaning Cosmos 839) was a satellite which was used as a target for tests of anti-satellite weapons. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1976 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme,^[1] and used as a target for Kosmos 843 as part of the Istrebitel Sputnikov programme.^[2]

Kosmos 839

Mission type	ASAT target
COSPAR ID	1976-067A
SATCAT no.	09011
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Lira
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoye
Launch mass	650 kilograms (1,430 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	8 July 1976, 21:08 (1976-07-08UTC21:08Z) UTC
Rocket	Kosmos-3M
Launch site	Plesetsk 132/1
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	915 kilometres (569 mi)
Apogee altitude	2,053 kilometres (1,276 mi)
Inclination	65.9 degrees
Period	115.6 minutes

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-3M carrier rocket,^[3] from Site 132/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch occurred at 21:08 UTC on 8 July 1976.^[4]

Kosmos 839 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 915 kilometres (569 mi), an apogee of 2,053 kilometres (1,276 mi), 65.9 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 115.6 minutes.^[1] It was successfully intercepted by Kosmos 843 on 21 July. As of 2009, debris is still in orbit.^[2][5]

Kosmos 839 was the third of ten Lira satellites to be launched,^[1] of which all but the first were successful. Lira was derived from the earlier DS-P1-M satellite, which it replaced.

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• 1976 in spaceflight