WORLD SPACECRAFT DIGEST by Jos Heyman 1981 ......Orbit: 571 x 638 km, inclination: 31.3 Also known as Hinotori, the 185 kg satellite undertook studies of solar flares in the X-ray

WORLD SPACECRAFT DIGEST by Jos Heyman 1981 Version: 2 September 2015 © Copyright Jos Heyman

1981 001A (12130) Name: Kosmos-1237 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 January 1981 Re-entry: 20 January 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 195 x 387 km, inclination: 72.9° Zenit 6 military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1976 111A.

1981 002A (12133) Name: Molniya 3-14 Country: USSR Launch date: 9 January 1981 Re-entry: 3 July 1999 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M

Orbit: 439 x 40800 km, inclination: 62.8° Communications satellite as described for 1974 092A.

1981 003A (12138) Name: Kosmos-1238 Country: USSR Launch date: 16 January 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 406 x 1958 km, inclination: 83.0° Vektor minor military satellite as described for 1974 044A.

1981 004A (12140) Name: Kosmos-1239 Country: USSR Launch date: 16 January 1981 Re-entry: 28 January 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 216 x 234 km, inclination: 82.3° Zenit 4MT military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1971 118A.

1981 005A (12143) Name: Kosmos-1240 Country: USSR Launch date: 20 January 1981 Re-entry: 17 February 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 171 x 357 km, inclination: 64.9° Yantar 2K military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1978 076A.

1981 006A (12149) Name: Kosmos-1241 Country: USSR Launch date: 21 January 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 977 x 1011 km, inclination: 65.8° DS-P1-M target satellite for anti-satellite technology tests as described for 1967 104A. Kosmos-1241 was intercepted by Kosmos-1243 (1981 010A) and Kosmos-1258 (1981 024A).

--- Name: --- Country: USSR Launch date: 23 January 1981 Re-entry: n.a. Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 3 Orbit: failed to orbit Musson geodetic satellite as described for 1981 098A which failed to orbit.

1981 007A (12152) Name: Progress-12 Country: USSR Launch date: 24 January 1981 Re-entry: 20 March 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 181 x 282 km, inclination: 51.7° Cargo transfer spacecraft as described for 1978 008A. In preparation for the sixth and final period of occupation of the Salyut-6 space (1977 097A), Progress-12 was loaded with the usual supplies which included several replacement parts. It docked with the rear port of the Salyut-6 station on 26 January 1981 and remained attached until 19 March 1981. It was used to boost the orbit of the space station.

1981 008A (12154) Name: Kosmos-1242 Country: USSR Launch date: 27 January 1981 Re-entry: 8 May 2014 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Vostok

Orbit: 626 x 658 km, inclination: 81.2° Tselina D military electronic intelligence gathering satellite as described for 1970 113A.

1981 009A (12156) Name: Molniya 1-49 Country: USSR Launch date: 30 January 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 010A (12160) Name: Kosmos-1243 Country: USSR Launch date: 2 February 1981 Re-entry: 2 February 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2

Orbit: 297 x 1017 km, inclination: 65.8° IS-P interceptor satellite for anti-satellite technology tests as described for 1967 104A. Kosmos-1243 passed within 8 km of Kosmos-1241 (1981 006A) on 2 February 1981.

1981 011A (12162) Name: Interkosmos-21 Int. Agency: Interkosmos Launch date: 6 February 1981 Re-entry: 7 July 1982 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 475 x 515 km, inclination: 74.0°

The 550 kg Interkosmos-21, using the AUOS-Z platform as described for 1976 065A, was equipped to study the ocean and land masses in conjunction with land and sea based data collection stations. Areas of investigation included the use of satellites to locate regions of high marine productivity and pollution, the boundaries between land and water, water and ice and snow cover, the study of the optical thickness of the atmosphere in different spectral bands and the collection of data on ocean surface temperatures. The satellite was also onown as AUOS-Z-R-P-IK. The instruments carried included: 1. an experimental automatic system for collecting and distributing data; 2. a multi-channel spectrometer for measuring ascending radiation flux; 3. a bi-polar radiometer to measure atmospheric thermal intensity; and 4. a three component magnetometer to measure the Earth's magnetic field.

1981 012A (12295) Name: ETS-3 Country: Japan Launch date: 11 February 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Tanegashima Launch vehicle: Nu 2


The Engineering Technology Satellite (ETS)-3, also known as Kiku-3, verified a three-axis attitude control system, the deployment of solar arrays as well as the verification of thermal control systems. In addition it tested a Visicon camera and an ion engine system. The payload consisted of: 1. a three-channel Visicon camera system; 2. two ion engine thrusters; 3. the Active Thermal Control Sub-system; and 4. the Magnetic Attitude Control Sub-system. The satellite had a mass of 385 kg.

1981 013A (12297) Name: Kosmos-1244 Country: USSR Launch date: 12 February 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 963 x 1014 km, inclination: 83.0° Parus military navigational satellite as described for 1974 105A.

1981 014A (12299) Name: Kosmos-1245 Country: USSR Launch date: 13 February 1981 Re-entry: 27 February 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 015A (12301) Name: Kosmos-1246 Country: USSR Launch date: 18 February 1981 Re-entry: 13 March 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 198 x 272 km, inclination: 64.9° Kosmos-1246 was the first Siluet dedicated mapping satellite based on the Yantar military reconnaissance satellites as described for 1974 098A. The satellites carried a KVR-1000 camera system with a resolution of 2 m and a TK-350 stereo camera system with a resolution of 10 m. In addition a geodetic beacon operating at 150.3 MHz was carried. The mass of these satellites has been estimated at 6700 kg and the series has also been referred to as 11F660, Yantar-1KFT and Kometa.

1981 016A (12303) Name: Kosmos-1247 Country: USSR Launch date: 19 February 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M

Orbit: 608 x 39232 km, inclination: 62.9° Oko military early warning satellite as described for 1972 072A.

1981 017A (12307) Name: Astro-1 Country: Japan Launch date: 21 February 1981 Re-entry: 11 July 1991 Launch site: Kagoshima Launch vehicle: Mu 3S


Also known as Hinotori, the 185 kg satellite undertook studies of solar flares in the X-ray wavelengths. The instrumentation consisted of: 1. a rotating modulation collimator; 2. a spectroscope; 3. solar X-ray detectors; 4. a solar gamma ray detector; 5. a solar electron particle detector; and 6. a solar plasma probe.

1981 018A (12309) Name: Comstar-4 Country: USA Launch date: 21 February 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Atlas Centaur D1AR

Orbit: geostationary at 127°W Communications satellite as described for 1976 042A. In July 2001 the satellite was sold to SSC Parallax, a USA based company whilst in April 2002 it was sold to Tongasat. It was subsequently located at 70oE and renamed Esiafi-1.

1981 019A (12315) Name: KH 8-51 Country: USA Launch date: 28 February 1981 Re-entry: 20 June 1981 Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Titan IIIB

Orbit: 138 x 336 km, inclination: 96.4° Military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1966 069A. Also known as Ops-1166 and mission 4351.

1981 020A (12317) Name: Kosmos-1248 Country: USSR Launch date: 5 March 1981 Re-entry: 4 April 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz


1981 021A (12319) Name: Kosmos-1249 Country: USSR Launch date: 5 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2

Orbit: 252 x 265 km, inclination: 65.0° US-A military ocean surveillance satellite fitted with radar equipment as described for 1967 127A. The satellite

was boosted into an orbit of 898 x 985 km with an inclination of 65.0° on 19 June 1981.

1981 022A (12320) Name: Kosmos-1250 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1399 x 1467 km, inclination: 74.0° Strela 1M military communications satellite as described for 1970 036A .

1981 022B (12321) Name: Kosmos-1251 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 022C (12322) Name: Kosmos-1252 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 022D (12323) Name: Kosmos-1253 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 022E (12324) Name: Kosmos-1254 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 022F (12325) Name: Kosmos-1255 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 022G (12326) Name: Kosmos-1256 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 022H (12327) Name: Kosmos-1257 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 023A (12334) Name: Soyuz T-4 Country: USSR Launch date: 12 March 1981 Re-entry: 26 May 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 245 x 315 km, inclination: 51.6° Crewed spaceflight with cosmonauts V. Kovalyonok (Cmdr.) and V. Savinykh (Fl. Eng.) using a Soyuz T spacecraft as described for 1979 103A. Their call sign was Foton and the back-up crews consisted of V. Zudov and B. Andreyev as well as Y. Isaulov and V. Lebedev. The rather long period between the launch of Progress-12 (1981 007A) and the launch of Soyuz T-4, was caused by electrical problems on the Salyut-6 space station (1977 097A) which had resulted in a very low temperature on board. For several weeks mission control had turned the space station in such a way that it achieved the maximum amount of sunlight to increase the interior temperature somewhat. One of the purposes of the Soyuz T-4 and subsequent missions, and possibly the explanation for its relative short duration, was to enable the programme of crewed Interkosmos flights to be completed. The crew docked with the front port of Salyut-6 on 13 March 1981 and commenced to repair the power system. In addition they performed scientific experiments. They finally left the station on 26 May 1981 and landed on the same day at a site 125 km east of Dzhezkazgan. During the mission of 74 days, 17 hours, 38 minutes they had conducted 150 scientific experiments, took 2000 photos with hand held cameras and a similar number of photos with the MKF-6M and KATE-140 cameras whilst they generated 200 materials processing experiments and 900 medical and biological experiments.

1981 024A (12337) Name: Kosmos-1258 Country: USSR Launch date: 14 March 1981 Re-entry: 14 March 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2

Orbit: 303 x 1026 km, inclination: 65.8° IS-P interceptor satellite for anti-satellite technology tests as described for 1967 104A. Kosmos-1258 came within 8 km of Kosmos-1241 (1981 006A) and then exploded.

1981 025A (12339) Name: IMEWS-9 Country: USA Launch date: 16 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Titan IIIC

Orbit: geostationary at 134°W

Military early warning satellite as described for 1970 093A. Also known as Ops-7350.

1981 026A (12341) Name: Kosmos-1259 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 March 1981 Re-entry: 31 March 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 027A (12351) Name: Raduga-8 Country: USSR Launch date: 18 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K/DM

Orbit: geostationary at 25°W Communications satellite as described for 1975 123A.

1981 028A (12364) Name: Kosmos-1260 Country: USSR Launch date: 20 March 1981 Re-entry: 22 May 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2

Orbit: 425 x 444 km, inclination: 65.0° US-P military ocean surveillance satellite fitted with electronic equipment as described for 1974 103A. The satellite was fragmented by ground control on 8 May 1982.

1981 029A (12366) Name: Soyuz-39 Country: USSR Launch date: 22 March 1981 Re-entry: 30 March 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 195 x 261 km, inclination: 51.7° Crewed spaceflight with cosmonauts V. Dzhanibekov (Cmdr.) and Z. Gurragcha (Cosm. Res.) from Mongolia using a Soyuz spacecraft as described for 1967 037A. Their call sign was Pamir and the back-up crew consisted of V. Lyakhov and M. Ganzorig from Mongolia. After the launch Soyuz-39 docked with the rear port of Salyut-6 (1977 097A) on 23 March 1981 and the crew commenced a series of experiments which included an Earth resources programme over Mongolia, the use of the VPA-1 unit to investigate sunlight polarisation, the use of the Vazon and Oasis plant growing facilities and the use of the Splav-01 furnace for materials processing. They also placed a radiation detector to measure cosmic rays, in the Splav-01 airlock. The spacecraft undocked and landed on 29 March 1980 at a site 175 km south east of Dzhezkazgan. The mission had lasted 7 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes.

1981 030A (12368) Name: Molniya 3-15 Country: USSR Launch date: 24 March 1981 Re-entry: 19 October 1992 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


--- Name: --- Country: USSR Launch date: 28 March 1981 Re-entry: n.a. Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U Orbit: failed to orbit Yantar 2K military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1978 076A which failed to orbit.

1981 031A (12376) Name: Kosmos-1261 Country: USSR Launch date: 31 March 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M

Orbit: 589 x 39406 km, inclination: 63.0° Oko military early warning satellite as described for 1972 072A. After about one month in orbit the satellite broke up.

1981 032A (12385) Name: Kosmos-1262 Country: USSR Launch date: 7 April 1981 Re-entry: 21 April 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 033A (12388) Name: Kosmos-1263 Country: USSR Launch date: 9 April 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 034A (12399) Name: STS-1 Country: USA Launch date: 12 April 1981 Re-entry: 14 April 1981 Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: STS


Crewed spaceflight with astronauts J. Young (Cmdr.) and R. Crippen (Pilot) using the orbiter Columbia. The back-up crew consisted of J. Engle and R. Truly. The Space Transportation System (STS) or Space Shuttle was the United States' re-usable launch vehicle. Studies into a re-usable launch vehicle began in 1962/63 when NASA awarded study contracts to North American Aviation as well as Boeing, whilst other manufacturers such as General Dynamics, Martin Marietta and Lockheed initiated their own independent studies. In the following years studies continued and resulted on 31 January 1969 in NASA awarding further study contracts to Lockheed, General Dynamics, McDonnell Douglas and North American Rockwell. In determining the post-Apollo course of the United States' space effort, it had been concluded from these studies that a new generation of space systems, which would stress cost efficiency and re-usability, was technically possible. The four building blocks to this effort were a space station module, a shuttle craft, a space tug; and an orbital transfer vehicle. Of these building blocks, only the shuttle craft and the space tug vehicle, the latter reduced to the upper stage concept with drastically reduced capabilities, materialised over time. As far as the shuttle craft was concerned, the base line concept was a fully re-usable spacecraft then called the Integrated Launch and Re-entry Vehicle (ILVR). The initial studies resulted in the conviction that a two-stage fully re-usable vehicle would satisfy the demand and, on this basis, additional contracts were awarded to North American Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas, Grumman/Boeing, Lockheed and Chrysler. During these studies various concepts were further investigated, including a concept that envisaged the use of relatively small wings that could be folded up during the space flight and re-entry phases, the use of variable geometry wings, and a concept which incorporated wing mounted turbofans which would enhance aerospace maneuverability. Curiously, the lifting body shape which had been subject to significant studies earlier in the sixties, was ruled out as it had design weaknesses due to an adverse body shape as well as the complexity of construction of the double curvature profile. The preferred shape that eventually emerged was that of a delta wing planform.

This planform was to be used for both the fly-back booster and the orbiter, The mission profile envisaged a vertical launch to an altitude of about 70 km where the two vehicles, both fitted with liquid propellant rocket engines, would separate. As proposed by North American Rockwell in these studies, the booster was to be 77 m long and have a span of 44 m, whilst the orbiter would have a span of 31 m and a length of 63 m. By the middle of 1971 it had been decided to adopt the idea of an external tank and recoverable boosters, resulting in the space transportation concept eventually adopted. Contracts for the construction of the Space Shuttle were awarded in July 1972. The vehicle consisted basically of the orbiter vehicle, built by North American Rockwell, two solid fuelled booster rockets built by Thiokol and an external tank built by Martin Marietta. Of these only the external tank was not re-usable. The orbiter was propelled by three Rocketdyne liquid fuelled motors which gave a thrust of 2,100,000 N during the launch. The fuel was stored in the external tank, which was jettisoned after launch. The orbiter had a length of 37.25 m and a span of 23.79 m, whilst the external tank had a length of 47.00 m and a diameter of 8.38 m. The payload bay had a length of 18.29 m and a width of 4.57 m and allowed, typically, three satellites to be stored. Payload capability was 24,000 kg. The orbiter provided accommodation to up to seven astronauts, four of which were seated on the flight deck during the launch whilst another three were seated in the mid-deck area below the flight deck. This mid-deck area also housed bunks for the astronauts, the galley and the washroom and was also, at times, used to house experiments. The payload bay was fitted with the Canadian built Remote Manipulator System (RMS) or Canadarm, consisting of an upper arm and a lower arm of 6.72 m each and a total length of 15.24 m, joined by means of a flexible joint and with a grappling hook and television camera at the end. The system was controlled from the mid-deck control station. There was a range of other standard equipment that could be fitted in the paylaod bay, depending on mission requirements. These included the Cargo Bay Storage Assembly (CBSA), the Manipulator Foot Restraint (MFR) and the Special Equipment Storage Assembly (SESA). Once in orbit, the payload bay doors were opened as they contained the radiators of the orbiters cooling system. Although the orbiter had three main engines, these were not used after separation from the external tank. In orbit maneuvers were performed with two orbital maneuvering engines which used mono-methylhydrazine and nitrogen peroxide. In addition there was an attitude control system consisting of 16 thrusters in the nose and 28 thrusters in the rear of the orbiter. Thermal protection for the orbiter during re-entry was provided by a range of hard silica tiles which covered the flat bottom of the orbiter, whilst the nose and wing edges were covered with reinforced carbon. After re-entry the orbiter glided back to the landing strip, either at Edwards Air Force Base or at the Kennedy Space Centre. The orbiter did not have a propulsion system that permitted maneuvering during this glide. In addition to the launch and landing facility at the Kennedy Space Centre, a launch and landing facility was built at Vandenberg AFB for military missions but this facility was never used following a re-assessment of the Space Shuttle utilisation following the Challenger disaster of 28 January 1986. The two solid fuelled boosters were developed by Thiokol and used polybutadiene to develop a thrust 23,572,400 N. They had a length of 45.47 m and a diameter of 3.78 m. After separation from the orbiter, immediately after launch, these boosters returned to Earth suspended from parachutes and were recovered from the ocean. Initially four orbiters were built with the names Challenger (OV099), Columbia (OV102), Discovery (OV103) and Atlantis (OV104). Following the loss of the Challenger (which was originally a static model), a replacement orbiter, known as Endeavour (OV-105), was built. In the development process of the Space Shuttle, also the Enterprise and the Pathfinder were built. Whilst the Pathfinder was a non-flying components mock-up which is now displayed in the United States Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, the Enterprise (OV101) was a version of the shuttle orbiter which did not have an orbiting capability but was used in the development of the numerous techniques required for the Space Shuttle, in particular the landing techniques, in which it was released from the Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, transport tests with the carrier aircraft and launch site tests at both the Kennedy Space Centre and Vandenberg. An essential part of the Space Transportation System were specialised upper stages which allowed satellites, in particular geostationary satellites, to be placed into their operational orbit as the Space Shuttle could only reach a low-Earth orbit with a maximum altitude of 500 km. These stages were carried into orbit as part of the

payload to be launched and were not reusable. They included the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), the Payload Assist Module (PAM) and the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS). Other methods used to place satellites in orbit from the Space Shuttle were the Perigee Kick Motor, which was an integral part of the satellite, the Remote Manipulator Arm, and a spring device incorporated in a Shuttle Getaway canister. Consideration was also given to the use of the Centaur as an upper stage but this was subsequently cancelled. Also cancelled was the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) space tug to be introduced in 1992. The objective of the STS-1 flight, also designated as Orrbital Test Flight (OFT)-1, was to prove the Space Shuttle and it carried mainly experiments to monitor the flight: 1. the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP)-1 to collect aerodynamic data on the

orbiter's performance; 2. the Infrared Imagery of Shuttle system to obtain high resolution infrared images of the shuttle surface; 3. Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI), a pallet fitted with a range of technology flight

instrumentation to record orbiter performance and the stresses that occurred during launch, ascent, orbital flight, descent and landing. These included the Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA) to assess the contamination hazards to sensitive paylaods in the payload bay;

4. several Flight Test Objective (FTO) experiments. FTO experiments occurred on the first four STS flights only and were assigned numbers commencing with the digits 1, 2, 3, and 4. It is apparent that some of the FTO experiments were precursors to DTO experiments. The FTO experiments on STS-1 included:

• FTO-142-01: Left OMS flight test objectives;

• FTO-142-01: Right OMS flight test objectives;

• FTO-162-01: ?;

• FTO-162-02: ?;

• FTO-173-01: ?;

• FTO-173-02: ?;

• FTO-173-05: ?;

• FTO-173-06: ?;

• FTO-173-07: Star Tracker Alignment Verification; 5. several Developmental Test Objective (DTO) experiments. DTO experiments were investigations

performed by crewmembers to evaluate new hardware and procedures involving the Orbiter, its subsystems, and its support equipment. Detailed data on DTO experiments were not included in the official media releases until STS-29 (1989 021A) and even then, subsequent data searches have indicated that those press releases were not always a complete listing. Additional DTO data has been published in other sources. It is apparent that DTO numbering on the first four STS flights were commenced with the digits 1, 2, 3 and 4. For subsequent flights a continous number system was used, resulting in some duplication of DTO numbers. DTO experiments carried on STS-1 included:

• DTO-173: Demonstration of Crewman Optical Alignment Sight;

• DTO-174: unspecified Flight Test Requirement; 6. several Detailed Supplementary Objective (DSO) experiments. DSO experiments were investigations

performed by crewmembers, who served as the test subjects. The experiments were designed to require minimal crew time, power and stowage. Some of these objectives developed into various experiments with the same principal DSO number. Also some experiments were conducted post-flight. Detailed data on DSO experiments were not included in the official media releases until STS-29 (1989 021A) and even then, subsequent data searches have indicated that those press releases were not always a complete listing. Additional DSO data has been published in other sources. It is apparent that DSO numbering on the first four STS flights were commenced with the digits 1, 2, 3 and 4. For subsequent flights a continous number system was used, resulting in some duplication of DSO numbers. DSO experiments carried on STS-1 included:

• DSO-401: Validation of Predictive Tests and Countermeasures for Space Motion Sickness;

• DSO-402: Cardiovascular Deconditioning During Space Flight and the Use of Saline as Countermeasure to Orthostatic Intolerance;

7. the Dynamic Acoustic and Thermal Environment (DATE) experiment, a series of sensors to measure the temperature and acoustic and low-frequency vibrations in the payload bay;

8. the Tile Gap Heating Effects (TGHE) experiment to measure the temperature in the gaps between the tiles on the undersurface of the orbiter; and

9. the Catalytic Surface Effects (CSE) experiment, to investigate the surface catalytic effect on convective heating rates of the thermal protection tiles.

The flight lasted 2 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes and landed at Edwards AFB.

1981 035A (12400) Name: Kosmos-1264 Country: USSR Launch date: 15 April 1981 Re-entry: 29 April 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 036A (12402) Name: Kosmos-1265 Country: USSR Launch date: 16 April 1981 Re-entry: 28 April 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 037A (12409) Name: Kosmos-1266 Country: USSR Launch date: 21 April 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2


was boosted into an orbit of 891 x 965 km with an inclination of 64.8° on 29 April 1981.

1981 038A (12418) Name: SDS-4 Country: USA Launch date: 24 April 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Titan IIIB

Orbit: 188 x 708 km, inclination: 62.7° Military communications satellite as described for 1976 050A. Alternatively it may have been a Jumpseat military electronic intelligence gathering satellite as described for 1971 021A. The orbit may have been modified to a highly elliptical orbit. Also known as Ops-7225.

1981 039A (12419) Name: Kosmos-1267 Country: USSR Launch date: 25 April 1981 Re-entry: 29 July 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K

Orbit: 192 x 259 km, inclination: 51.6° Kosmos-1267 was the second flight of a TKS module as described for 1977 066A, and included a cargo return capsule, possibly the same as previously used on Kosmos-929 (1977 066A). The spacecraft was originally intended for the cancelled crewed TKS-1 flight to the OPS-4 space station that was cancelled. Initially it was suggested by western press that the spacecraft was an anti-satellite battle station equipped with clusters of infrared homing guided interceptors but, apart from the suggestion which may have been the result of a fertile mind, there appears to be no evidence to support this. For a period of 57 days the spacecraft was used for docking exercises with Salyut-6 (1977 097A) without actually docking and on 24 May 1981 the cargo return capsule was separated and recovered. It was not until 19 June 1981, when the space station was unoccupied, that Kosmos-1267 physically docked with the front port of Salyut-6. After docking Kosmos-1267 was used twice to boost the orbit of the space station and remained in use to test orbital manoeuvres until it re-entered on 29 July 1982, whilst still attached to the space station.

1981 040A (12423) Name: Kosmos-1268 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 April 1981 Re-entry: 12 May 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 041A (12442) Name: Kosmos-1269 Country: USSR Launch date: 7 May 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 796 x 810 km, inclination: 74.1° Strela 2 military communications satellite as described for 1965 112A.

1981 042A (12454) Name: Soyuz-40 Country: USSR Launch date: 14 May 1981 Re-entry: 22 May 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 191 x 269 km, inclination: 51.6° Crewed spaceflight with cosmonauts L. Popov (Cmdr.) and D. Prunariu (Cosm. Res.) from Romania using a Soyuz spacecraft as described for 1967 037A. Their call sign was Dnepr. It is believed that the crew was initially the back-up crew and that a change took place shortly before the flight. Y. Romanenko and D. Dediu from Romania, originally the primary crew, became the back-up crew. Soyuz-40 docked with the rear port of the Salyut-6 space station (1977 097A) on 15 May 1981 and the crew commenced a series of activities which included the Nanoves experiment which assessed the degradation of structural materials and optical coatings in a space environment, and the Kapillyar experiment which formed germanium crystals in a molybdenum matrix. They also conducted Earth atmospheric studies with the Minidoza experiment. On 22 May 1981 Soyuz-40 separated from the space station and landed later that day 225 km south east of Dzhezkazgan. The mission had lasted 7 days, 20 hours, 38 minutes.

1981 043A (12456) Name: Meteor 2-7 Country: USSR Launch date: 14 May 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Vostok

Orbit: 855 x 893 km, inclination: 81.3° Meteorological satellite as described for 1975 064A.

1981 044A (12458) Name: Nova-1 Country: USA Launch date: 15 May 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Scout G-1


Military navigational satellite also known as NNSS-30480. The 166 kg satellite tested new instruments and techniques and carried also a tri-axis vector magnetometer, four solar detectors and an internal mass

displacement detector. At a later date the orbit was changed to 997 x 1199 km with an inclination of 90.0°.

1981 045A (12461) Name: Kosmos-1270 Country: USSR Launch date: 18 May 1981 Re-entry: 17 June 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 046A (12464) Name: Kosmos-1271 Country: USSR Launch date: 19 May 1981 Re-entry: 3 May 2013 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Vostok


1981 047A (12466) Name: Kosmos-1272 Country: USSR Launch date: 21 May 1981 Re-entry: 4 June 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 048A (12469) Name: Kosmos-1273 Country: USSR Launch date: 22 May 1981 Re-entry: 4 June 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 210 x 264 km, inclination: 82.3° Zenit 4MKT military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1975 090A.

1981 049A (12472) Name: GOES-5 Country: USA Launch date: 22 May 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Delta 3914

Orbit: geostationary at 85°W Meteorological satellite as described for 1975 100A. It was built by Hughes as type HS-371.

The satellite was later moved to 75°W and was eventually de-activated on 9 July 1990.

1981 050A (12474) Name: Intelsat 5-F1 Int. Agency: Intelsat Launch date: 23 May 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Atlas Centaur D1AR

Orbit: geostationary at 177°E

Communications satellite as described for 1980 098A. The satellite was later moved to 92°E.

1981 051A (12491) Name: Rohini-2 Country: India Launch date: 31 May 1981 Re-entry: 8 June 1981 Launch site: Sriharikota Launch vehicle: SLV-3


Technology satellite as described for 1980 062A. The orbit was lower than intended because of a fault with the launch vehicle.

1981 052A (12495) Name: Kosmos-1274 Country: USSR Launch date: 3 June 1981 Re-entry: 3 July 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 053A (12504) Name: Kosmos-1275 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 June 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 964 x 1014 km, inclination: 83.0° Parus military navigational satellite as described for 1974 105A. After 50 days in orbit the satellite fragmented, probably due to a collision with space debris.

1981 054A (12512) Name: Molniya 3-16 Country: USSR Launch date: 9 June 1981 Re-entry: 10 February 1998 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 055A (12517) Name: Kosmos-1276 Country: USSR Launch date: 16 June 1981 Re-entry: 29 June 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 056A (12520) Name: Kosmos-1277 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 June 1981 Re-entry: 1 July 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 057A (12544) Name: Meteosat-2 Int. Agency: ESA Launch date: 19 June 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Kourou Launch vehicle: Ariane 1

Orbit: geostationary at 0°

From left to right: Meteosat-2, Apple, CAT3

Meteorological satellite as described for 1977 108A. The satellite was taken out of geostationary orbit in December 1991.

1981 057B (12545) Name: Apple Country: India Launch date: 19 June 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Kourou Launch vehicle: Ariane 1


The Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (Apple) was a 630 kg three-axis stabilised communications satellite built by Hindustan Aerospace in India using transponder parts and solar panels purchased in the United States and batteries purchased in France. The single transponder operated in the C band. Operation was curtailed by the failure of a solar panel to deploy but the satellite did provide an effective disaster warning network for 30 months.

1981 057C (12546) Name: CAT-3 Int. Agency: ESA Launch date: 19 June 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Kourou Launch vehicle: Ariane 1

Orbit: 202 x 35838 km, inclination: 10.5° Technology satellite as described for 1979 104A.

1981 058A (12547) Name: Kosmos-1278 Country: USSR Launch date: 19 June 1981 Re-entry: 2 September 2000 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 059A (12553) Name: NOAA-7 Country: USA Launch date: 23 June 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Atlas F

Orbit: 845 x 863 km, inclination: 98.9° Meteorological satellite as described for 1979 057A.

1981 060A (12556) Name: Molniya 1-50 Country: USSR Launch date: 24 June 1981 Re-entry: 14 December 1991 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 061A (12564) Name: Ekran-7 Country: USSR Launch date: 26 June 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K/DM

Orbit: geostationary at 99°E Communications satellite as described for 1976 107A.

1981 062A (12571) Name: Kosmos-1279 Country: USSR Launch date: 1 July 1981 Re-entry: 15 July 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 063A (12577) Name: Kosmos-1280 Country: USSR Launch date: 2 July 1981 Re-entry: 15 July 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 211 x 286 km, inclination: 82.3° Resurs F Earth resources satellite as described for 1979 080A.



1981 065A (12585) Name: Meteor 1-31 Country: USSR Launch date: 10 July 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Vostok

Orbit: 610 x 671 km, inclination: 97.9° Meteorological satellite as described for 1969 029A. The satellite also carried two multi-spectral television systems with mechanical scanners.

1981 065D (12587) Name: Iskra-1 Country: USSR Launch date: 10 July 1981 Re-entry: 16 April 1990 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Vostok

Orbit: 617 x 464 km, inclination: 97.7° Radio amateur satellite developed by the Moscow Aviation Institute and fitted with a transponder operating at 5 GHz. The status of the satellite, also known as RK-1, is not clear and it may have failed to separate from either the upper stage of the launch vehicle or the main satellite (1981 065A). Because of this uncertainty, the designation 1981 065C has also been used for this satellite.

1981 066A (12588) Name: Kosmos-1282 Country: USSR Launch date: 15 July 1981 Re-entry: 14 August 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U




1981 068A (12614) Name: Kosmos-1284 Country: USSR Launch date: 29 July 1981 Re-entry: 12 August 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 069A (12618) Name: Raduga-9 Country: USSR Launch date: 30 July 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K/DM


1981 070A (12624) Name: DE-1 Country: USA Launch date: 3 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Delta 3913


The Dynamics Explorer (DE)-1 and –2 (1981 070B) were launched simultaneously and supplied information about the coupling of energy, electric currents and fields, and plasma between the magnetosphere and the atmosphere. DE-1 carried the following instruments: 1. an Energetic Ion Mass Spectrometer (EICS); 2. the High Altitude Plasma Instrument (HAPI); 3. a three-axis fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG-A); 4. a Plasma Wave Instrument (PWI); 5. the Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer (RIMS); and 6. the Spin-scan Auroral Imager (SAI). DE-2 carried: 1. the Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI); 2. a Langmuir Probe (LANG); 3. a Low Altitude Plasma Instrument (LAPI); 4. a three-axis fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG-B); 5. the Neutral Atmosphere Composition Spectrometer (NACS); 6. a Retarding Potential Analyser (RPA); 7. the Ion Drift Meter (IDM); 8. the Vector Electric Field Instrument (VEFI); and 9. the Wind and Temperature Spectrometer (WATS). DE-2, was placed in a lower orbit than DE-1. DE-1 had a mass of 403 kg whilst DE-2 had a mass of 415 kg. The two satellites were also known as Explorer-62 and -63.

1981 070B (12625) Name: DE-2 Country: USA Launch date: 3 August 1981 Re-entry: 19 February 1983 Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Delta 3913

Orbit: 298 x 996 km, inclination: 90.0° Scientific satellite as described for 1981 070A.

1981 071A (12627) Name: Kosmos-1285 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 072A (12631) Name: Kosmos-1286 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 August 1981 Re-entry: 16 October 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2

Orbit: 432 x 445 km, inclination: 65.0° US-P military ocean surveillance satellite fitted with electronic equipment as described for 1974 103A. The satellite was destroyed by ground control on 29 September 1982.

1981 073A (12635) Name: Fltsatcom-5 Country: USA Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Atlas Centaur D1AR

Orbit: geostationary at 73°W Military communications satellite as described for 1978 016A. The satellite was damaged by the launch vehicle's nose fairing.

1981 074A (12636) Name: Kosmos-1287 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074B (12637) Name: Kosmos-1288 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074C (12638) Name: Kosmos-1289 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074D (12639) Name: Kosmos-1290 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074E (12640) Name: Kosmos-1291 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074F (12641) Name: Kosmos-1292 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074G (12642) Name: Kosmos-1293 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 074H (12643) Name: Kosmos-1294 Country: USSR Launch date: 6 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 075A (12645) Name: Interkosmos-22 Int. Agency: Interkosmos Launch date: 7 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Vostok


Also known as Bulgaria-1300, to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of Bulgaria, the 1500 kg satellite was dedicated to the investigation of the ionosphere and magnetosphere in relation to the propagation of radio communications. Twelve of the fifteen instruments were supplied by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The instruments were: 1. an Ion Drift Meter and Retarding Potential Analyzer; 2. a Spherical Electromagnetic Ion Trap; 3. a Cylindrical Langmuir Probe; 4. several Double Spherical Electron Temperature Probes; 5. the Low-Energy Electron-Proton Electrostatic Analyser Array; 6. an Ion Energy-Mass Composition Analyser; 7. a Proton Solid State Telescope; 8. several Visible Airglow Photometers; 9. a Wavelength Scanning Ultraviolet Photometer; 10. several Triaxial Spherical Vector Electric Field Probes; and 11. a Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer.

1981 076A (12677) Name: Himawari-2 Country: Japan Launch date: 10 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Tanegashima Launch vehicle: Nu 2


Meteorological satellite as described for 1977 065A. The satellite operated until 21 January 1984 and was also known as GMS-2.



1981 078A (12687) Name: Kosmos-1296 Country: USSR Launch date: 13 August 1981 Re-entry: 13 September 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 079A (12716) Name: Kosmos-1297 Country: USSR Launch date: 18 August 1981 Re-entry: 30 August 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 080A (12776) Name: Kosmos-1298 Country: USSR Launch date: 21 August 1981 Re-entry: 2 October 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 174 x 331 km, inclination: 64.9° Kosmos-1298 was the first of the Yantar 4K2 series of military reconnaissance satellites also referred to as Kobalt. The 6600 kg satellites were based on the Yantar military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1974 098A. Built by TsSKB as article 11F695, the satellites were fitted with a Zemcug-4 camera system and carried 22 film return capsules.

1981 081A (12783) Name: Kosmos-1299 Country: USSR Launch date: 24 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2


was boosted into an orbit of 910 x 984 km with an inclination of 65.1° on 6 September 1981.

1981 082A (12785) Name: Kosmos-1300 Country: USSR Launch date: 24 August 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 3


1981 083A (12788) Name: Kosmos-1301 Country: USSR Launch date: 27 August 1981 Re-entry: 10 September 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 213 x 272 km, inclination: 82.3° Resurs F Earth resources satellite as described for 1979 080A.


Orbit: 783 x 812 km, inclination: 74.0° Strela 2 military communications satellite as described for 1965 112A.

1981 085A (12799) Name: KH 11-4 Country: USA Launch date: 3 September 1981 Re-entry: 23 November 1984 Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Titan IIID

Orbit: 244 x 526 km, inclination: 97.0° Military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1976 125A. Also known as Ops-3984.

1981 086A (12801) Name: Kosmos-1303 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 September 1981 Re-entry: 18 September 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 087A (12803) Name: Kosmos-1304 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 September 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 912 x 980 km, inclination: 82.9° Tsikada civilian navigational satellite as described for 1976 122A.

1981 088A (12818) Name: Kosmos-1305 Country: USSR Launch date: 11 September 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M

Orbit: 626 x 13865 km, inclination: 62.8° Molniya 3 communications satellite as described for 1974 092A. The escape stage of the launch vehicle failed and the satellite did not achieve the desired orbit.

1981 089A (12828) Name: Kosmos-1306 Country: USSR Launch date: 14 September 1981 Re-entry: 16 July 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 2

Orbit: 409 x 462 km, inclination: 65.0° US-P military ocean surveillance satellite fitted with electronic equipment as described for 1974 103A. The satellite was fragmented on 12 July 1982.

1981 090A (12830) Name: Kosmos-1307 Country: USSR Launch date: 15 September 1981 Re-entry: 29 September 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 091A (12835) Name: Kosmos-1308 Country: USSR Launch date: 18 September 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 092A (12837) Name: Kosmos-1309 Country: USSR Launch date: 18 September 1981 Re-entry: 1 October 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U

Orbit: 212 x 257 km, inclination: 82.3° Zenit 4MT military reconnaissance satellite as described for 1971 118A.

1981 093A (12842) Name: SJ-2 Country: China Launch date: 19 September 1981 Re-entry: 26 September 1981 Launch site: Jiuquan Launch vehicle: FB 1


Whilst the launch tested the technique to launch three dissimilar satellites, the Shi Jian (SJ)-2 satellite studied the Earth's atmosphere, radiation and the magnetic fields. The instruments consisted of a magnetometer, a semi-conductor proton directional probe, a semi-conductor proton semi-omni directional probe, a semi-conductor electronic directional probe, a scintillation counter, a long wave infrared radiometer, a short wave infrared radiometer, an Earth atmosphere ultraviolet radiometer, a solar ultraviolet radiometer, a solar X-ray probe and a thermoelectric ionisation barometer. The satellite had a mass of 275 kg.

1981 093B (12843) Name: SJ-2A Country: China Launch date: 19 September 1981 Re-entry: 6 October 1982 Launch site: Jiuquan Launch vehicle: FB 1


The primary purpose of the Shi Jian (SJ)-2A and SJ-2B (1981 093C) satellites were to test the multiple launch capability of the FB 1 launch vehicle. SJ-2A carried transmitters in the 40.5 MHz and 162 MHz frequencies to collect data on the ionosphere. It had a mass of 483 kg.

1981 093C (12844) Name: SJ-2B Country: China Launch date: 19 September 1981 Re-entry: 17 August 1982 Launch site: Jiuquan Launch vehicle: FB 1


The primary purpose of the Shi Jian (SJ)-2A (1981 093B) and SJ-2B satellites were to test the multiple launch capability of the FB 1 launch vehicle. The SJ-2B satellite consisted of a metal ball and a balloon which were linked by a thin wire. With a mass of 48 kg, the objective was to measure the decay rate due to atmospheric drag.

1981 094A (12848) Name: Oreole-3 Country: France Launch date: 21 September 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 3

Orbit: 406 x 2001 km, inclination: 82.5° The satellite, using the AUOS-Z platform as described for 1976 065A, was also known as Arctic Auroral Density (Arcad)-3 and AUOS-Z-M-A-IK. It carried seven French, four USSR and one joint instruments for the study of electrons and ions in the 30 KeV range, measuring the density and temperature of electrons, and to study solar winds. The instruments were: 1. several Kukushka Soft Particle Spectrometers; 2. several Pietstchanka Particle Spectrometers; 3. the FON Energetic Particle Detector; 4. the TBE Soft Particle Spectrometer; 5. the ROBE Soft Particle Spectrometer; 6. an Energetic Spectrometer; 7. an Ion Mass Spectrometer; 8. the Isoprobe radio frequency probe; 9. the ISO F Electric Field Probe; 10. the ISO M Magnetic Field Probe; 11. the TRAC Fluxgate Magnetometer; and 12. the Altair Auroral Photometer. The satellite had a mass of app. 1000 kg.

1981 095A (12852) Name: Kosmos-1310 Country: USSR Launch date: 23 September 1981 Re-entry: 3 April 1989 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 096A (12855) Name: SBS-2 Country: USA Launch date: 24 September 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Delta 3910


1981 097A (12871) Name: Kosmos-1311 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 September 1981 Re-entry: 28 August 1983 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 463 x 519 km, inclination: 83.0° Taifun 2 minor military satellite as described for 1976 037A. The satellite released 24 Romb sub-satellites.

1981 098A (12879) Name: Kosmos-1312 Country: USSR Launch date: 30 September 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 3


Kosmos-1312 was the first of a Musson series of geodetic satellites. The satellites were built by NPO PM and were based on the KAUR platform. The satellites carried five payloads: 1. a 9.4 GHz radar which provided altitude determination above the sea surface with an accuracy of 3

to 5 m; 2. a two frequency doppler system operating at 150 MHz and 400 MHz; 3. a 5.7/3.4 GHz transponder to provide ranging data to within 3 to 5 m; 4. various laser corner reflectors to provide range determinations to within 1.5 m; and 5. a light signaling system producing nine high intensity flashes at a rate of 1/3 Hz, which was used in

conjunction with ground-based observatories to determine the satellite's position against the celestial background.

They had a mass of 1610 kg.

1981 099A (12881) Name: Kosmos-1313 Country: USSR Launch date: 1 October 1981 Re-entry: 15 October 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 100A (12887) Name: SME Country: USA Launch date: 6 October 1981 Re-entry: 5 March 1991 Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Delta 2310


The Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) provided a comprehensive study of the atmospheric ozone and the processes that form and destroy it. It also measured the temperature, pressure, water vapor, nitrodioxide content, near infrared airglow and the amount of incoming solar radiation. The satellite carried three spectrometers, a four-channel infrared radiometer and a solar ultraviolet monitor. The satellite's mass was 437 kg and was also known as Explorer-64.

1981 100B (12888) Name: Oscar-9 Country: United Kingdom Launch date: 6 October 1981 Re-entry: 13 October 1989 Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Delta 2310


Oscar-9 was designed by the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom and was also known by the name University of Surrey Satellite (Uosat)-1 as well as UO-9. It was a cooperative project between the University, the Radio Society of Great Britain and Amsat. The primary objective of the satellite, which had a mass of 52 kg, was to stimulate a greater practical interest in space science in high schools, technical schools and universities. For this the satellite carried, in addition to the beacons, instrumentation to conduct ionospheric research, including two particle counters to provide information on solar activity and auroral events, a magnetometer to measure the Earth's magnetic field and a solid-state charge-coupled camera which pointed earthwards. Finally, the satellite was equipped with an electronic voice synthesiser which was controlled by the on-board computer and 'spoke' telemetry and experimental data on the spacecraft operations. The satellite remained operational until re-entry.

1981 101A (12895) Name: Kosmos-1314 Country: USSR Launch date: 9 October 1981 Re-entry: 22 October 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 102A (12897) Name: Raduga-10 Country: USSR Launch date: 9 October 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K/DM

Orbit: geostationary at 85°E Communications satellite as described for 1975 123A.

1981 103A (12903) Name: Kosmos-1315 Country: USSR Launch date: 13 October 1981 Re-entry: 31 August 2015 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Vostok


1981 104A (12905) Name: Kosmos-1316 Country: USSR Launch date: 15 October 1981 Re-entry: 29 October 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 105A (12915) Name: Molniya 3-17 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 October 1981 Re-entry: 9 January 1997 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 106A (12927) Name: Venera-13 Country: USSR Launch date: 30 October 1981 Re-entry: 1 March 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K/D-1 Orbit: 0.70 AU x 0.99 AU, inclination 2.3o

Venus spacecraft as described for 1978 084A fitted with a lander and with a mass of app. 2460 kg. After reaching Venus on 27 February 1982, the Venera-13 spacecraft placed a lander, designated 1981 106D

(15599), on the surface of Venus on 1 March 1982 at 7°30'S, 57°W, whilst the probe itself flew past Venus in a heliocentric orbit. The spacecraft bus carried instruments to study gamma ray fluxes in interplanetary space and included an Austrian magnetometer. The lander was fitted with: 1. instruments for the sampling of the soil; 2. a gamma ray experiment; 3. a mass spectrometer; 4. a gas chromatograph; 5. an optical spectrophotometer; 6. a hydrometer; 7. a nephelometer; 8. an X-ray fluorescent meter; and 9. a magnetometer. During the descent the atmosphere was sampled whilst, once landed, the lander made eight panoramic views of the surface before the systems failed after 87 minutes. In addition the drill of the soil sampler operated for 12 minutes and, after analysis, the soil was found to exist of basaltic rock. The lander had an estimated mass of 1600 kg.

1981 107A (12930) Name: Chalet-3 Country: USA Launch date: 31 October 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Titan IIIC

Orbit: geostationary at 115°E Military electronic intelligence gathering satellite as described for 1978 058A. Also known as Ops-4029 as well as he USSR designation RER-2-3.

1981 108A (12933) Name: Kosmos-1317 Country: USSR Launch date: 31 October 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M

Orbit: 584 x 40163 km, inclination: 62.9° Oko military early warning satellite as described for 1972 072A. The satellite broke up in January 1984.

1981 109A (12936) Name: Kosmos-1318 Country: USSR Launch date: 3 November 1981 Re-entry: 4 December 1981 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 110A (12938) Name: Venera-14 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 November 1981 Re-entry: 5 March 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Proton K/D-1 Orbit: 0.71 AU x 0.99 AU, inclination 2.3o Venus spacecraft as described for 1981 106A.

After arriving at Venus on 3 March 1982, the lander, designated 1981 110D (15600), landed at 13°15'S, 50°W on 5 March 1982 and operated for 57 minutes.

1981 111A (12953) Name: STS-2 Country: USA Launch date: 12 November 1981 Re-entry: 14 November 1981 Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: STS


Crewed spaceflight with astronauts J. Engle (Cmdr.) and R. Truly (Pilot) using the orbiter Columbia as described for 1981 034A. The back-up crew for the flight was T. Mattingly and H. Hartstfield. It was also known as OTF-2. The principal objective of the flight was to further test the Space Shuttle systems. In addition a Spacelab pallet (F002) as described for 1983 116A, with a variety of experiments was carried in the payload bay. This payload, known as the Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications (OSTA)-1 payload, consisted of: 1. Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites (MAPS) to test the measurement of carbon-monoxide in

the lower atmosphere;

2. Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR)-A, a 23 cm radar aimed at the surface at a 47° angle to test geological mapping by radar;

3. Shuttle Multispectral Infrared Radiometer (SMIRR) to test remote sensing in the infrared bands; and 4. Feature Identification and Location Experiment (FILE), a system of automatically sorting remote

sensing images. Other experiments conducted during the flight were: 1. Ocean Colour Experiment (OCE) to demonstrate the ability to detect plankton or chlorophyll

concentrations by mapping colour pattersn of the ocean; 2. Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), to measure induced pollution around the

spacecraft; 3. Night/Day Optical Survey of Lightning (NOSL), in which the astronauts photographed lightning and

storms to provide data for earlier detection of severe storms; 4. Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) as described for STS-1 (1981 034A); 5. Heflex Bio-engineering Test (HBT), a module which carried 72 sunflower seeds in small containers

to investigate the effect of weightlessness; 6. the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP)-3 as described for STS-1 (1981 034A); 7. the Catalytic Surface Effects (CSE) experiment as described for STS-1 (1981 034A); 8. the Dynamic Acoustic and Thermal Environment (DATE) experiment as described for STS-1 (1981

034A); 9. several Flight Test Objective (FTO) experiments as described for STS-1 (1981 034A), including:

• FTO-212-01: RCS Engine Duty Cycle Firing Thermal Soakback Test;

• FTO-212-03: Vernier Injector Heater Evaluation;

• FTO-212-03: Vernier RCS Injector Heater Evaluation;

• FTO-242-01: Simulated Engine Failure;

• FTO-242-02: OMS Engine Restart;

• FTO-242-03: OMS-to-RCS Propellant Interconnect Test;

• FTO-244-01: Primary Thruster Leak Detector Test;

• FTO-247-01: RCS Thruster Leak Detection Test;

• FTO-252-04: RMS Back-up Mode Performance;

• FTO-252-07: RMS Auto Mode Performance;

• FTO-252-08: ?;

• FTO-266-01: ?;

• FTO-273-03: COAS Calibration;

• FTO-274-07: PRCS Narrow Deadband Attitude Hold;

• FTO-274-11: VRCS Plume Impingement; 10. several Developmental Test Objective (DTO) experiments as described for STS-1 (1981 034A),

including:

• DTO-263: Airlock and EVA Systems Demonstration;

• DTO-265: Radiator Inherent Thermal Capacity;

• DTO-266: Radiator Performance Test;

• DTO-267: Cabin Temperature Measurement; 11. several Detailed Supplementary Objective (DSO) experiments as described for STS-1 (1981 034A),

including:

• DSO-401: Validation of Predictive Tests and Countermeasures for Space Motion Sickness;

• DSO-402: Cardiovascular Deconditioning During Space Flight and the Use of Saline as Countermeasure to Orthostatic Intolerance;

12. the Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP)-2 as described for STS-1 (1981 034A); and

13. the Tile Gap Heating Effects (TGHE) experiment as described for STS-1 (1981 034A). The flight was intended to last for five days but the failure of one of the fuel cells forced the flight to be curtailed. An EVA, to be undertaken by Engle, did not take place and the flight ended at Edwards AFB after 2 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes. During the flight the ACIP and tile experiments failed but all other experiments were successful so that 90% of the mission's objectives had been achieved.

1981 112A (12954) Name: Kosmos-1319 Country: USSR Launch date: 13 November 1981 Re-entry: 27 November 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 113A (12959) Name: Molniya 1-51 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 November 1981 Re-entry: 2 November 1993 Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Molniya M


1981 114A (12967) Name: RCA Satcom-3R Country: USA Launch date: 20 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Delta 3910


1981 115A (12968) Name: Bhaskara-2 Country: India Launch date: 20 November 1981 Re-entry: 30 November 1991 Launch site: Kapustin Yar Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


The 444 kg Bhaskara-2 was an Earth resources satellite similar to Bhaskara-1 as described for 1979 051A.

In addition Bhaskara-2 also carried a dual television camera which operated in the 0.54 to 0.66 µm and 0.75

to 0.85 µm bands. Because of an electrical fault, the television camera was never switched on but the

microwave radiometer operated successfully until April 1984.

1981 116A (12975) Name: Kosmos-1320 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1482 x 1638 km, inclination: 74.0° Strela 1M military communications satellite as described for 1970 036A . The orbit's apogee was somewhat higher than usual and may indicate a partial failure.

1981 116B (12976) Name: Kosmos-1321 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 116C (12977) Name: Kosmos-1322 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1483 X 1631 km, inclination: 74.0° Strela 1M military communications satellite as described for 1970 036A . The orbit's apogee was somewhat higher than usual and may indicate a partial failure.

1981 116D (12978) Name: Kosmos-1323 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1483 X 1627 km, inclination: 74.0° Strela 1M military communications satellite as described for 1970 036A . The orbit's apogee was somewhat higher than usual and may indicate a partial failure.

1981 116E (12979) Name: Kosmos-1324 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 116F (12980) Name: Kosmos-1325 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 116G (12981) Name: Kosmos-1326 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 116H (12982) Name: Kosmos-1327 Country: USSR Launch date: 28 November 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M


1981 117A (12987) Name: Kosmos-1328 Country: USSR Launch date: 3 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Tsyklon 3


1981 118A (12989) Name: Kosmos-1329 Country: USSR Launch date: 4 December 1981 Re-entry: 18 December 1981 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 119A (12994) Name: Intelsat 5-F3 Int. Agency: Intelsat Launch date: 15 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Cape Canaveral Launch vehicle: Atlas Centaur D1AR


Communications satellite as described for 1980 098A. The satellite was later moved to 177°E.

1981 120A (12997) Name: Radio-3 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1564 x 1663 km, inclination: 83.0° Radio amateur satellite fitted with a beacon operating at 29 MHz which was not available for general use. The flight probably was a test of the technique to launch six communications satellites as described for 1985 003A. Also known as Radio Sputnik (RS)-3.

1981 120B (12998) Name: Radio-4 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1656 x 1686 km, inclination: 83.0° Radio amateur satellite as described for 1981 120A. Also known as RS-4.

1981 120C (12999) Name: Radio-5 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1653 X 1668 km, inclination: 83.0° Radio amateur satellite as described for 1981 120A. In addition the satellite, which was also known as RS-5, carried a mode A transponder operating in the 145/29 MHz band and an auto transponder.

1981 120D (13000) Name: Radio-6 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1639 X 1668 km, inclination: 83.0° Radio amateur satellite as described for 1981 120A. In addition the satellite, which was also known as RS-6, carried a mode A transponder operating in the 145/29 MHz band.

1981 120E (13001) Name: Radio-7 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1626 X 1662 km, inclination: 83.0° Radio amateur satellite as described for 1981 120A. In addition the satellite, which was also known as RS-7, carried a mode A transponder operating in the 145/29 MHz band and an auto transponder.

1981 120F (13002) Name: Radio-8 Country: USSR Launch date: 17 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Plesetsk Launch vehicle: Kosmos 3M

Orbit: 1579 X 1666 km, inclination: 83.0° Radio amateur satellite as described for 1981 120A. In addition the satellite, which was also known as RS-8, carried a mode A transponder operating in the 145/29 MHz band.

--- Name: Navstar-7 Country: USA Launch date: 18 December 1981 Re-entry: n.a. Launch site: Vandenberg Launch vehicle: Atlas E Orbit: failed to orbit Navigational satellite as described for 1978 020A. The satellite failed to orbit. It was also known as SVN-7.

1981 121A (13008) Name: Kosmos-1330 Country: USSR Launch date: 19 December 1981 Re-entry: 19 January 1982 Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Soyuz U


1981 122A (13010) Name: Marecs-1 Int. Agency: ESA Launch date: 20 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Kourou Launch vehicle: Ariane 1

Orbit: geostationary at 26°W

In 1973 ESA commenced the development of a maritime satellite system called MAROTS, based on the OTS satellite as described for 1978 044A. Following design changes the programme was later renamed Marecs. The satellites, which were built by British Aerospace and had a mass of 497 kg, were equipped with two transponders which operated in the C and 1.6/1.5 GHz bands. They provided communication facilities between ship borne and shore based stations as well as between ship borne stations. The Marecs-1 satellite was handed over to Inmarsat on 1 May 1982 after initial problems experienced due to the electrostatic discharges on the satellite's external surface during geomagnetic storms had been overcome.

In 1991 it was moved to 22°E.

1981 122B (13011) Name: CAT-4 Int. Agency: ESA Launch date: 20 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Kourou Launch vehicle: Ariane 1

Orbit: 236 x 35820 km, inclination: 10.5° Technology satellite as described for 1979 104A. In addition the 217 kg satellite carried the Thesee experiment developed by a French student group. The experiment, which involved the deployment of an extendable boom, studied electron density and ionospheric plasma.

1981 123A (13012) Name: Molniya 1-52 Country: USSR Launch date: 23 December 1981 Re-entry: in orbit Launch site: Baikonour Launch vehicle: Molniya M


WORLD SPACECRAFT DIGEST by Jos Heyman 1981 ......Orbit: 571 x 638 km, inclination: 31.3 Also known as Hinotori, the 185 kg satellite undertook studies of solar flares in the X-ray

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