Cosmos 2495

Launch data:

Description:

• COSMOS 2492 is likely a Kobalt M reconnaissance platform equipped with an optical camera to collect high-resolution photos of strategic sites around the world. Kobalt satellites reportedly carry canisters to return film to Earth during the satellite's mission, which will last at least several months. The film capsules are recovered by Russian authorities for analysis. Kobalt satellites orbit between 150 miles (241 km) and 300 miles (483 km) above Earth in high-inclination orbits covering nearly the entire planet.

Mission details:

• A Kobal't-M spy satellite, serial number 564, was launched from Plesetsk on May 6, 2014 into a 176 x 284 km x 81.4 deg orbit. It is the 9th launch of an 11F695M Kobal't-M film-return satellite and the first to use the Soyuz-2-1A rocket instead of the older Soyuz-U. By May 17 the satellite was in a 207 x 248 km x 81.4 deg orbit.
• TASS reports that its cover name is Cosmos-2495, which suggests that we have missed three Cosmos series launches.
• Russia's Kobal't-M No. 564 spy satellite, possibly codenamed Cosmos-2493 or Cosmos-2495 depending on which Russian statements you believe, landed at around 1828 UTC on Sep 2, 2014 after 119 days in space.
• (Sep 2014-JR702) It now appears that something went wrong with the recovery of a Russian Defense Ministry Kobal't spy satellite on Sep 2.
  Based on the knowledge that the satellite was no longer in orbit of Sep 2, calculating show that if it landed in the usual area, the deorbit would have been northbound over the Horn of Africa around 1805 UTC Sep 2 with entry around 1818 UTC and landing around 1828 UTC near Orenburg in Russia.
  The descent module (SA) would separate from the service module (AO) after the deorbit burn, with the AO burning up since it does not have a heat shield. The AO carries the solar panels, which are likely to break off early in the descent.
  Reentering debris overhead was observed by people in Kazakhstan at around 1814 UTC Sep 2, exactly the expected time for the service module entry. (but also close to a pass of the Chinese Yaogan 5 satellite wich completed its reentry two orbits later.
  In addition, large amounts of reentering debris were observed northbound over Colorado and Wyoming at about 0430 UTC on Sep 3, which is consistent with the projected path and timing of the satellite if no deorbit burn was made.
  Concludion is that the SA landed successfully on the Sep 2 pass; possibly after separation the AO bounced off the atmosphere and remained in a very low orbit for 7 further revolutions before finally succumbing over US territory.
  This is hard to match with the data since the timing suggests whatever reentered over Colorado was in the original payload orbit - there are uncertainties but other analysts believe that the small objects (payload covers? solar panels?) ejected before the deorbit burn were responsible for the Colorado reentry.
  Meanwhile, NOTAMS (announcements of airspace closures) suggest recovery dates for the two small SpK capsules. Based on these SpK landing times were of Jun 20 0808 UTC and Jul 3 0402 UTC.