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Soviet Space ProgramSoyuz U43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Zenit-6U 42
Launched
July 7, 1981
Summary
Zenit-6U 42 launched on a Soviet Space Program Soyuz U from 43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on July 7, 1981. It was Soviet Space Program's 1,504th launch, 53rd this year and humanity's 2,457th orbital launch attempt. It was the 248th Soyuz U flight and the 25th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Kosmos-1281, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 203 × 399 km orbit inclined 72.8°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Soyuz U · Soviet Space Program
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 248th Soyuz U flight · 25th this yearSoviet Space Program's 1,504th launch53rd this yearhumanity's 2,457th orbital launch attempt66th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Kosmos-1281 · NORAD 12583 · 1981-064 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1981-064A
- Epoch
- 1981-07-07 13:48:32 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.92856598 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0146951
- Inclination
- 72.844°
- Ascending node
- 117.4727°
- Arg. of perigee
- 84.75°
- Mean anomaly
- 277.0476°
- 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
5 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 3 components; none still in orbit
- Kosmos-1281 · NORAD 12583 · landed July 21, 1981
Soyuz-U 53-477 Blok-I · re-entered July 17, 1981
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Optical film-return reconnaissance satellite
Pad
43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
135th launch from 43/3 (43L), 11th this year · 818th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
234 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
5 days 5 hours after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did Zenit-6U 42 launch?
Zenit-6U 42 launched on July 7, 1981. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Zenit-6U 42?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Zenit-6U 42?
Soyuz U, flown by Soviet Space Program. Soyuz U spec sheet
Where did Zenit-6U 42 launch from?
43/3 (43L), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.
What orbit did Zenit-6U 42 reach?
Kosmos-1281, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 203 × 399 km orbit inclined 72.8°.
How many satellites did Zenit-6U 42 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).