Soviet Space ProgramKosmos-3M (11K65M)132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Sfera 4
Launched
March 17, 1969
Image: Julio Perez Suarez
Summary
Sfera 4 launched on a Soviet Space Program Kosmos-3M (11K65M) from 132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on March 17, 1969. It was Soviet Space Program's 390th launch, 19th this year and humanity's 948th orbital launch attempt. It was the 13th Kosmos-3M (11K65M) flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Kosmos-272, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 1,196 × 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
- 13th Kosmos-3M (11K65M) flight · 2nd this yearSoviet Space Program's 390th launch19th this yearhumanity's 948th orbital launch attempt29th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-272 · NORAD 3818 · 1969-024 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- COSMOS 272
- Object ID
- 1969-024A
- Epoch
- 1969-03-17 21:45:40 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.17189493 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0008335
- Inclination
- 73.995°
- Ascending node
- 73.0402°
- Arg. of perigee
- 233.2246°
- Mean anomaly
- 126.8086°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 3
- 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 debris; 3 still in orbit
- Kosmos-272 · NORAD 3818 · in orbit
Kosmos-3M No. 27LM 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
13th launch from 132/2, 2nd this year · 76th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
172 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
11 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did Sfera 4 launch?
Sfera 4 launched on March 17, 1969. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Sfera 4?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Sfera 4?
Kosmos-3M (11K65M), flown by Soviet Space Program. Kosmos-3M (11K65M) spec sheet
Where did Sfera 4 launch from?
132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did Sfera 4 reach?
Kosmos-272, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 1,196 × 1,209 km orbit inclined 74.0°.
How many satellites did Sfera 4 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).