Kosmos 2421 (Cosmos 2421) was a Russian spy satellite launched in 2006, but began fragmenting in early 2008. [1] It also had the Konus-A science payload designed by Ioffe Institute to detect gamma-ray bursts. [2] Three separate fragmentation events produced about 500 pieces of trackable debris. [1] About half of those had already re-entered Earth's atmosphere by the fall of 2008. [3]
Kosmos 2421 was launched on June 25, 2006, on a Tsyklon-2 from LC90 at Baykonur. [4] Other designations are 2006-026A and NORAD 29247. [4] It is a US-PU/Legenda type satellite, and was in a 65 degree, 93 minute circular orbit 410–430 km up. [4] The main body of the satellite finally re-entered and burned up on 19 August 2010. [5]
There have been 190 known satellite breakups between 1961 and 2006. [6] Kosmos 2421 was one of the top ten space junk producing events up to 2012. [7] There was estimated to be 500,000 pieces of debris in orbit at that time. [7]
On August 27, 2008, the International Space Station (ISS) fired the boosters of the Jules Verne automated transfer vehicle to avoid debris fragment 33246 from the remains of Kosmos 2421. [8] Without a change, that piece was predicted to have a 1 in 72 chance of hitting the station. [8] Kosmos 2421 had been in a higher orbit than ISS, so when ISS's apogee (high point of orbit) surpassed the debris field's perigee (low point of orbit), many fragments would cross ISS's orbit. [8]
On February 10, 2009, two communications satellites — the active commercial Iridium 33 and the derelict Russian military Kosmos 2251 —accidentally collided at a speed of 11.7 km/s (26,000 mph) and an altitude of 789 kilometres (490 mi) above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia. It was the first time a hypervelocity collision occurred between two satellites; previous incidents had involved a satellite and a piece of space debris.
Kosmos 2441, also known as Persona No.1, was a Russian optical reconnaissance satellite launched in 2008. The first Persona satellite, it failed a few months into its mission, which was scheduled to have lasted three to five years. It was the first Russian reconnaissance satellite to be placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit.
Kosmos 2479 is a Russian US-KMO missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2012 as part of the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces' Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using infrared telescopes. It was the last US-KMO geostationary satellite, to be launched, prior to the system being replaced by EKS.
Kosmos 2440 is a Russian US-KMO missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2008 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using infrared telescopes. It spent its two-year operational life at 80E giving early warning coverage of Russia, China, North Korea, the Middle East and some of Europe.
Kosmos 2379 is a Russian US-KMO missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2001 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using infrared telescopes.
EKSKupol is a developing programme of Russian early warning satellites as a replacement for the US-KMO and US-K satellites of the Oko programme. The satellites are designed to identify any possible future ballistic missile launches, from outer space, and complement early warning radars such as the Voronezh. This gives advance notice of a nuclear attack and would provide information to the A-135 missile defence system which protects Moscow, as well as other Russian missile defense and counterattack resources. Six satellites are planned to be initially orbited. The first of these was launched on 17 November 2015 and as of November 2022, all six of them are in service.
Kosmos 2469 was a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2010 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.
Kosmos 2446 is a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2008 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.
Kosmos 2430 was a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2007 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.
Kosmos 2422 was a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2006 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.
Kosmos 2393 is a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2002 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.
Kosmos 2388 was a Russian US-K missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2002 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite was designed to identify missile launches using optical telescopes and infrared sensors.
Kosmos 2480 is a Russian Kobalt-M reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2012 by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. It was the last launch of a Soyuz-U rocket launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
Kosmos 2472 was a Russian Kobalt-M reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011 by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. It was launched in June 2011 and remained in orbit until October 2011.
Kosmos 2481 is a Russian Strela-3 military communications satellite which was launched in 2012 by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. It was launched with 2 Gonets-M civilian communication satellites and a research satellite called Yubileiny-2, also known as MiR.
Kosmos 2467 is one of a pair of Russian military communications satellites which were launched in 2010 by the Russian Space Forces. It was launched with Kosmos 2468 and a Gonets-M civilian communication satellite.
Kosmos 2468 is a Russian military communications satellite which was launched in 2010 by the Russian Space Forces. It was launched with Kosmos 2467 and a Gonets-M civilian communication satellite.
Kosmos-1408 was an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) satellite operated by the Soviet Union. It was launched into low Earth orbit on 16 September 1982 at 14:55 UTC, replacing Kosmos-1378. It operated for around two years before becoming inactive and left in orbit.
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