Kosmos 148 (Russian: Космос 148 meaning Cosmos 148), also known as DS-P1-I No.2 was a satellite which was used as a radar target for anti-ballistic missile tests. It was launched by the Soviet Union in 1967 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme,[3] and had a mass of 325 kilograms (717 lb).[1]
| Mission type | ABM Radar target |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1967-023A |
| SATCAT no. | 02712 |
| Mission duration | 52 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-P1-I |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 325 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 March 1967, 17:30 GMT |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Plesetsk, 133/1 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 7 May 1967 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 270 km |
| Apogee altitude | 404 km |
| Inclination | 71.0° |
| Period | 91.3 minutes |
| Epoch | 16 March 1967 |
It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63SM rocket,[4] from Site 133/1 at Plesetsk. The launch occurred at 17:30 GMT on 16 March 1967.[5] This was the first DS-P1-I launch to use the Kosmos-2I 63SM, which replaced the earlier 63S1 model. It was also the first launch from Site 133 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.[1]
Kosmos 148 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 270 kilometres (170 mi), an apogee of 404 kilometres (251 mi), an inclination of 71.0°, and an orbital period of 91.3 minutes.[2] It decayed from orbit on 7 May 1967.[6]
Kosmos 148 was the second of nineteen DS-P1-I satellites to be launched.[3] Of these, all reached orbit successfully except the DS-P1-I No.6 (seventh, launched out of sequence).[7]
