Soviet Space ProgramKosmos-3M (11K65M)132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Sfera 1
Launched
February 20, 1968
Image: Julio Perez Suarez
Summary
Sfera 1 launched on a Soviet Space Program Kosmos-3M (11K65M) from 132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on February 20, 1968. It was Soviet Space Program's 295th launch, 6th this year and humanity's 800th orbital launch attempt. It was the 7th Kosmos-3M (11K65M) flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Kosmos-203, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 1,172 × 1,209 km orbit inclined 74.0°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Kosmos-3M (11K65M) · Soviet Space Program
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 7th Kosmos-3M (11K65M) flight · 2nd this yearSoviet Space Program's 295th launch6th this yearhumanity's 800th orbital launch attempt12th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-203 · NORAD 3129 · 1968-011 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- COSMOS 203
- Object ID
- 1968-011A
- Epoch
- 1968-02-20 18:06:47 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.20334536 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0024794
- Inclination
- 74.0217°
- Ascending node
- 37.961°
- Arg. of perigee
- 347.36°
- Mean anomaly
- 144.3421°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; 2 still in orbit
- Kosmos-203 · NORAD 3129 · in orbit
Kosmos-3M No. 22LM Stage 2 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Sfera or Geoid series were the first soviet geodetic satellites to improve the accuracy of maps. The development of the satellites started in 1965 at NPO-PM.
Pad
132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
7th launch from 132/2, 2nd this year · 40th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
172 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
31 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did Sfera 1 launch?
Sfera 1 launched on February 20, 1968. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Sfera 1?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Sfera 1?
Kosmos-3M (11K65M), flown by Soviet Space Program. Kosmos-3M (11K65M) spec sheet
Where did Sfera 1 launch from?
132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did Sfera 1 reach?
Kosmos-203, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 1,172 × 1,209 km orbit inclined 74.0°.
How many satellites did Sfera 1 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).