Soviet Space ProgramKosmos-3M (11K65M)132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Sfera 8
Launched
March 25, 1972
Image: Julio Perez Suarez
Summary
Sfera 8 launched on a Soviet Space Program Kosmos-3M (11K65M) from 132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on March 25, 1972. It was Soviet Space Program's 644th launch, 12th this year and humanity's 1,327th orbital launch attempt. It was the 53rd Kosmos-3M (11K65M) flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Kosmos-480, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 1,179 × 1,198 km orbit inclined 83.0°. 2 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
- 53rd Kosmos-3M (11K65M) flight · 3rd this yearSoviet Space Program's 644th launch12th this yearhumanity's 1,327th orbital launch attempt21st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-480 · NORAD 5905 · 1972-019 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- COSMOS 480
- Object ID
- 1972-019A
- Epoch
- 1972-03-25 05:36:23 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.20856926 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00125
- Inclination
- 82.9992°
- Ascending node
- 245.7473°
- Arg. of perigee
- 209.3179°
- Mean anomaly
- 150.7199°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 2
- 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
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 2 still in orbit
- Kosmos-480 · NORAD 5905 · in orbit
Kosmos-3M 27-123 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
35th launch from 132/2, 3rd this year · 226th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
172 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
2 days 5 hours after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did Sfera 8 launch?
Sfera 8 launched on March 25, 1972. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Sfera 8?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Sfera 8?
Kosmos-3M (11K65M), flown by Soviet Space Program. Kosmos-3M (11K65M) spec sheet
Where did Sfera 8 launch from?
132/2, Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did Sfera 8 reach?
Kosmos-480, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 1,179 × 1,198 km orbit inclined 83.0°.
How many satellites did Sfera 8 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
