Soviet Space ProgramMolniya-M 2BL41/1, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Molniya-3 31L
Launched
October 17, 1981
Image: Jonathan Space Report
Summary
Molniya-3 31L launched on a Soviet Space Program Molniya-M 2BL from 41/1, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on October 17, 1981. It was Soviet Space Program's 1,538th launch, 87th this year and humanity's 2,498th orbital launch attempt. It was the 130th Molniya-M 2BL flight and the 11th this year. The payload was bound for Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical). Molniya-3, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 605 × 40,713 km orbit inclined 62.9°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Molniya-M 2BL · Soviet Space Program
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical)
- Milestone
- 130th Molniya-M 2BL flight · 11th this yearSoviet Space Program's 1,538th launch87th this yearhumanity's 2,498th orbital launch attempt107th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Molniya-3 · NORAD 12915 · 1981-105 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- MOLNIYA 3-17
- Object ID
- 1981-105A
- Epoch
- 1981-10-17 07:13:29 UTC
- Mean motion
- 1.9536252 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.741926
- Inclination
- 62.9026°
- Ascending node
- 65.7524°
- Arg. of perigee
- 287.9657°
- Mean anomaly
- 9.2976°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: Elliptical. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
5 catalogued: 1 payload, 2 rocket stages, 2 components; none still in orbit
- Molniya-3 · NORAD 12915 · re-entered January 9, 1997
Molniya-M 55-530 Blok-I · re-entered November 6, 1981
Blok-L · re-entered December 15, 1997
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Molniya communication satellites operating from a highly elliptical orbit
Pad
41/1, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
211th launch from 41/1, 17th this year · 841st from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
310 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
7 days 19 hours after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did Molniya-3 31L launch?
Molniya-3 31L launched on October 17, 1981. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Molniya-3 31L?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Molniya-3 31L?
Molniya-M 2BL, flown by Soviet Space Program. Molniya-M 2BL spec sheet
Where did Molniya-3 31L launch from?
41/1, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did Molniya-3 31L reach?
Molniya-3, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 605 × 40,713 km orbit inclined 62.9°.
How many satellites did Molniya-3 31L launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).