Kosmos 320

Kosmos 320
Mission type	Technology
Operator	VNIIEM
COSPAR ID	1970-005A
SATCAT no.	04301
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	DS-MO
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoye
Launch mass	375 kilograms (827 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	16 January 1970, 10:59:58 UTC
Rocket	Kosmos-2I 63SM
Launch site	Kapustin Yar 86/4
End of mission
Decay date	10 February 1970
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	247 kilometres (153 mi)
Apogee altitude	326 kilometres (203 mi)
Inclination	48.4 degrees
Period	90.2 minutes

Kosmos 320 (Russian: Космос 320 meaning Cosmos 320), also known as DS-MO No.3 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1970 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. Its primary mission was to demonstrate orientation control by means of an aerodynamic skirt stabiliser.^[1] It also carried an optical research payload for the Soviet Armed Forces.

Launch

It was launched aboard a Kosmos-2I 63SM rocket^[2] from Site 86/4 at Kapustin Yar. The launch occurred at 10:59:58 UTC on 16 January 1970.^[3]

Orbit

Kosmos 320 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 247 kilometres (153 mi), an apogee of 326 kilometres (203 mi), 48.4 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 90.2 minutes.^[1] It decayed from orbit on 10 February 1970.^[4] Kosmos 320 was the second of two DS-MO satellites to be launched. It was preceded by Kosmos 149, which was launched in March 1967.^[1]^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Wade, Mark. "DS-MO". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
^ Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
^ Wade, Mark. "DS". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2009.