Kosmos 12 (Russian: Космос 12 meaning Cosmos 12) or Zenit-2 No.7 was a Soviet optical film-return reconnaissance satellite launched in 1962. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 12 was the seventh of eighty-one such satellites to be launched.[3][4]
Spacecraft
Kosmos 12 was a Zenit-2 satellite, a first generation, low resolution, reconnaissance satellite derived from the Vostok spacecraft used for crewed flights, the satellites were developed by OKB-1. In addition to reconnaissance, it was also used for research into radiation in support of the Vostok programme. It had a mass of 4,730 kilograms (10,430 lb).[1]
Kosmos 12 was operated in a low Earth orbit. On 22 December 1962, it had a perigee of 198 kilometres (123 mi), an apogee of 392 kilometres (244 mi), with an inclination of 65.0°, and an orbital period of 90.5 minutes.[2] On 30 December 1962, the spacecraft was deorbited, with its return capsule descending by parachute for recovery by the Soviet forces in the steppe in Kazakhstan.
^ abc"Cosmos 12: Display 1962-072A". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).
