RORSAT

This page no longer updated from 31 October 2001. Latest version can be found at www.astronautix.com

RORSAT

Program: RORSAT. Objective: Surveillance. Type: Naval Radarsat. Overview: Soviet military nuclear-reactor powered radar naval reconnaissance satellite network. Major Events: .

28 December 1965 Cosmos 102 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 11A510. More details
Prototype RORSAT hardware using chemical batteries in place of nuclear reactor.
20 July 1966 Cosmos 125 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Vostok 11A510. More details
Prototype RORSAT hardware using chemical batteries in place of nuclear reactor. Lost on the 52nd revolution as a result of a possible failure in the chemical power units placed on board instead of the nuclear BES-5.
27 December 1967 Cosmos 198 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon. More details
Prototype RORSAT hardware using chemical batteries in place of BES-5 nuclear reactor. First satellite to be boosted to 900 km storage orbit.
22 March 1968 Cosmos 209 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon. More details
RORSAT hardware, repreentative of production hardware, but using chemical batteries in place of BES-5 nuclear reactor.
25 January 1969 US-A Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
RORSAT hardware, repreentative of production hardware, but using chemical batteries in place of BES-5 nuclear reactor.
23 December 1969 Cosmos 316 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
RORSAT hardware or unknown spacecraft test.
03 October 1970 Cosmos 367 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; either chemical batteries or nuclear powered.
01 April 1971 Cosmos 402 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; either chemical batteries or nuclear powered.
25 December 1971 Cosmos 469 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered. First RORSAT flight confirmed by Russian source to have had BES-5 nuclear reactor.
21 August 1972 Cosmos 516 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
25 April 1973 RORSAT failure Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered. American 'sniffer' aircraft flew over the Pacific after this failure looking for radioisotopes traces in order to characterise the reactor.
27 December 1973 Cosmos 626 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
15 May 1974 Cosmos 651 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
17 May 1974 Cosmos 654 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
02 April 1975 Cosmos 723 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
07 April 1975 Cosmos 724 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
12 December 1975 Cosmos 785 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered; failed immediately after reaching orbit.
02 July 1976 Cosmos 838 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean monitoring; exploded June/July '76.
17 October 1976 Cosmos 860 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
21 October 1976 Cosmos 861 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
26 November 1976 Cosmos 868 Spacecraft: US-P. Mass: 1,400 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
16 September 1977 Cosmos 952 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
18 September 1977 Cosmos 954 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered; re-entered over Canada, spreading radioactive debris.
29 April 1980 Cosmos 1176 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered; test flight of modified design.
05 March 1981 Cosmos 1249 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
21 April 1981 Cosmos 1266 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
24 August 1981 Cosmos 1299 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
14 May 1982 Cosmos 1365 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
01 June 1982 Cosmos 1372 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
27 August 1982 Cosmos 1402 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
02 October 1982 Cosmos 1412 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
29 June 1984 Cosmos 1579 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
31 October 1984 Cosmos 1607 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
01 August 1985 Cosmos 1670 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
24 August 1985 Cosmos 1677 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
21 March 1986 Cosmos 1736 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance.
20 August 1986 Cosmos 1771 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance.
02 February 1987 Cosmos 1818 Spacecraft: US-AM. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance.
19 June 1987 Cosmos 1860 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.
10 July 1987 Cosmos 1867 Spacecraft: US-AM. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered. - Tested Plasma-2 SPT electric engine.
12 December 1987 Cosmos 1900 Spacecraft: US-A. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
12 December 1987 Cosmos 1900 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance.
14 March 1988 Cosmos 1932 Spacecraft: US-A. Mass: 3,800 kg. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2. More details
Ocean surveillance; nuclear powered.

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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .