Kosmos 324 (Russian: Космос 324 meaning Cosmos 324), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.32, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1970 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.[1]

Launch

Kosmos 324 was launched from Site 133/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome,[2] atop a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 27 February 1970 at 17:24:55 UTC, and resulted in the successful deployment of Kosmos 324 into low Earth orbit.[3] Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1970-014A.

Orbit

Kosmos 324 was the thirtieth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched,[1] and the twenty-eighth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.[4] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 258 kilometres (160 mi), an apogee of 387 kilometres (240 mi), 71 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 91 minutes.[1][5] It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 23 May 1970.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "DS-P1-Yu". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  3. ^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  4. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "DS-P1-Yu (11F618)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  5. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 14 August 2009.