Soviet Space ProgramMolniya-M 2BL43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
US-K 21
Launched
June 19, 1981
Image: Jonathan Space Report
Summary
US-K 21 launched on a Soviet Space Program Molniya-M 2BL from 43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on June 19, 1981. It was Soviet Space Program's 1,499th launch, 48th this year and humanity's 2,451st orbital launch attempt. It was the 126th Molniya-M 2BL flight and the 7th this year. The payload was bound for Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical). Kosmos-1278, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 618 × 40,223 km orbit inclined 62.8°. 6 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
- Government/Top Secret · Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical)
- Milestone
- 126th Molniya-M 2BL flight · 7th this yearSoviet Space Program's 1,499th launch48th this yearhumanity's 2,451st orbital launch attempt60th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-1278 · NORAD 12547 · 1981-058 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 6 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- COSMOS 1278
- Object ID
- 1981-058A
- Epoch
- 1981-06-19 08:42:22 UTC
- Mean motion
- 1.97970532 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.7391251
- Inclination
- 62.8499°
- Ascending node
- 152.0799°
- Arg. of perigee
- 318.1123°
- Mean anomaly
- 4.4817°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.000099999
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
6 catalogued: 1 payload, 2 rocket stages, 2 debris, 1 component; none still in orbit
- Kosmos-1278 · NORAD 12547 · re-entered September 2, 2000
Molniya-M 47-554 Blok-I · re-entered July 28, 1981
Blok-2BL 55-642 · re-entered June 10, 2013
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Early warning satellite
Pad
43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
132nd launch from 43/3 (43L), 8th this year · 815th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
234 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
3 days 12 hours after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did US-K 21 launch?
US-K 21 launched on June 19, 1981. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch US-K 21?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched US-K 21?
Molniya-M 2BL, flown by Soviet Space Program. Molniya-M 2BL spec sheet
Where did US-K 21 launch from?
43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did US-K 21 reach?
Kosmos-1278, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 618 × 40,223 km orbit inclined 62.8°.
How many satellites did US-K 21 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).