Kosmos 2471
Encyclopedia
Kosmos 2471 also known as Glonass-K1 No.11 is a Russia
n navigation satellite
which was launched in 2011. The first Glonass-K
satellite to be launched, it is one of two Glonass-K1 spacecraft which will serve as prototypes for the operational Glonass-K2 spacecraft.
Kosmos 2471 is a 935 kilograms (2,061.3 lb) satellite, which was built by ISS Reshetnev based on the Ekspress-1000A satellite bus
. The spacecraft has three-axis stabilisation
to keep it in the correct orientation, and will broadcast signals in the L1, L2 and L3 navigation bands for Russian military and commercial users.
In addition to its navigation payloads, the satellite also carries a Kospas-Sarsat search and rescue payload.
The satellite is located in a medium Earth orbit
with an apogee
of 19279 kilometres (11,979.4 mi), a perigee
of 19715 kilometres (12,250.4 mi), and 64.8 degrees of inclination
. It is equipped with two solar panels to generate power, and is expected to remain in service for ten years. It is expected to enter service by the end of 2011.
Kosmos 2471 was launched from Site 43/4
at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome
in northwest Russia. A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Fregat
upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 03:07:15 UTC on 26 February 2011. The launch successfully placed the satellite into a Medium Earth orbit
. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator
2011-009A. The United States Space Command
assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number
37372.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n navigation satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
which was launched in 2011. The first Glonass-K
GLONASS-K
GLONASS-K is the latest satellite design intended as a part of the Russian GLONASS radio-based satellite navigation system. Developed by Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems and first launched on 26 February 2011, it is a substantial improvement of the previous GLONASS-M second-generation...
satellite to be launched, it is one of two Glonass-K1 spacecraft which will serve as prototypes for the operational Glonass-K2 spacecraft.
Kosmos 2471 is a 935 kilograms (2,061.3 lb) satellite, which was built by ISS Reshetnev based on the Ekspress-1000A satellite bus
Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...
. The spacecraft has three-axis stabilisation
Three-axis stabilisation
Three-axis stabilisation involves the use of three gyroscopes—one for each axis —to keep satellites correctly oriented in space.The same technology is used to 'steer' guided missiles, but it involves only 2 gyroscopes....
to keep it in the correct orientation, and will broadcast signals in the L1, L2 and L3 navigation bands for Russian military and commercial users.
In addition to its navigation payloads, the satellite also carries a Kospas-Sarsat search and rescue payload.
The satellite is located in a medium Earth orbit
Medium Earth Orbit
Medium Earth orbit , sometimes called intermediate circular orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit ....
with an apogee
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
of 19279 kilometres (11,979.4 mi), a perigee
Apsis
An apsis , plural apsides , is the point of greatest or least distance of a body from one of the foci of its elliptical orbit. In modern celestial mechanics this focus is also the center of attraction, which is usually the center of mass of the system...
of 19715 kilometres (12,250.4 mi), and 64.8 degrees of inclination
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
. It is equipped with two solar panels to generate power, and is expected to remain in service for ten years. It is expected to enter service by the end of 2011.
Kosmos 2471 was launched from Site 43/4
Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43
Site 43, also known as SK-3 and SK-4, is a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consists of a two pads, Sites 43/3 and 43/4, and has been used by R-7 derived rockets since the early 1960s....
at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport, located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk.-Overview:...
in northwest Russia. A Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Fregat
Fregat
Fregat is a type of rocket stage developed by NPO Lavochkin in the 1990s. Its main engine is a liquid propellant rocket that uses UDMH and N2O4 as propellants.- Specifications :...
upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 03:07:15 UTC on 26 February 2011. The launch successfully placed the satellite into a Medium Earth orbit
Medium Earth Orbit
Medium Earth orbit , sometimes called intermediate circular orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit ....
. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator
International Designator
The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites...
2011-009A. The United States Space Command
United States Space Command
The United States Space Command was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense, created in 1985 to help institutionalize the use of outer space by the United States Armed Forces. The Commander in Chief of U.S...
assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number
Satellite Catalog Number
The Satellite Catalog Number is a sequential 5-digit number assigned by USSPACECOM to all Earth orbiting satellites in order of identification. Before USSPACECOM, the catalog was maintained by NORAD...
37372.