Orbital Focus - International Spaceflight Facts and Figures
carousel image
 
Zenit - Korolyov's Legacy


Tyneside, UK
2024 Dec 5
Thursday, Day 340

Curated by:




















Yantar-related Missions

Some of the 1972-1975 Zenit-2M missions were used to evaluate and test equipment intended for Yantar - an improved surveillance sytem and eventual Zenit replacement.

The main mission of the Zenit as a photo-reconnaissance satellite was not affected in any way. Test equipment for the Yantar electronics, navigation and computing systems were housed in Nauka autonomous modules. Tests of the Yantar film-carrying re-entry modules probably involved the capsule being on a structure fitted in the space normally occupied by the Nauka.

Cosmos 525(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1972-083A       6248
1972 Oct 18, 11:59 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1972 Oct 19, 01:09:  206 x 268 km,  65.38 deg,  89.2 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 12 days. Carried Nauka autonomous module that tested components of the Condor control unit for the upcoming Yantar series - it was separated about day 9 of the flight.
Landed:
1972 Oct 29, 05:14
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM

Cosmos 552(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1973-016A       6394
1973 Mar 22, 10:00 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1973 Mar 22, 18:46:  203 x 311 km,  72.84 deg,  89.6 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 12 days. Carried Nauka autonomous module that tested components of the Condor control unit for the upcoming Yantar series - it was separated about day 4 of the flight.
Landed:
1973 Apr 3, 04:29
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM

Cosmos 596(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1973-070A       6856
1973 Oct 3, 13:00 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1973 Oct 03, 20:12:  205 x 287 km,  65.41 deg,  89.4 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 6 days. Also carried a test re-entry capsule for Yantar. Separation of the Yantar capsule's re-entry aeroshell failed and prevented deployment of the parachute. The capsule was subsequently destroyed on impact.
Landed:
1973 Oct 9, 07:42
Recovery beacon:
TG
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM

Cosmos 629(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1974-003A       7100
1974 Jan 24, 15:00 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1974 Jan 25, 02:37:  196 x 289 km,  62.82 deg,  89.4 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 12 days. Also carried a test re-entry capsule for Yantar.
Landed:
1974 Feb 5, 06:53
Recovery beacon:
TG
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM

Cosmos 635(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1974-014A       7216
1974 Mar 14, 10:30 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1974 Mar 14, 23:46:  204 x 324 km,  72.83 deg,  89.8 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 12 days. Carried Nauka autonomous module that tested navigation equipment and radio-altimeter for Yantar - it separated about day 4 of the flight.
Landed:
1974 Mar 26, 05:27
Recovery beacon:
TG
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM

Cosmos(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)              
1974 Aug 30, 00:00 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. Also carried a test re-entry capsule for Yantar.
Not Recovered

Cosmos 692(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1974-087A       7502
1974 Nov 1, 14:20 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1974 Nov 01, 17:01:  195 x 296 km,  62.82 deg,  89.4 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 12 days. Also carried a test re-entry capsule for Yantar that was successfully recovered.
Landed:
1974 Nov 13, 06:20
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM

Cosmos 769(Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor)       1975-088A       8322
1975 Sep 23, 10:00 UTC
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Voskhod, 11A57
1975 Sep 23, 15:46:  203 x 305 km,  72.81 deg,  89.6 min
Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - recovered after 12 days. Also carried a Yantar re-entry capsule that was successfully recovered.
Landed:
1975 Oct 5, 04:21
HF Transmit:
19.995 MHz, FSK/PDM


Page date: 2011 Sep 14

Copyright © Robert Christy, all rights reserved
Reproduction of this web page or any of its content without permission from the website owner is prohibited