SKRL 756-2 (Cosmos 2493)

Spacecraft nº:

Russian spacecraft nº:

Launch data: Designation  39491 / 13078B Launch date  28 Dec 2013 - 12:30 UT Launch site  Plesetsk, LC-43/4 Launch vehicle  Soyuz-2-1v Volga Mission  Radar calibration Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  599 x 634 km Eccentricity   Inclination   82.4° Period  96.9 min

Two SKRL-756 spheres in payload stack

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• The two russian SKRL-756 satellites are radar calibration spheres.
• The objects from the Soyuz-2-1V launch of Dec 2013 (2013-078) have been reassigned:
  Object originally cataloged as 39490 (78A) is now 39493 (78D). It is the second stage rocket.
  Object originally cataloged as 39491 (78B) is unchanged. It is thought to be the SKRL-756-2 calsphere.
  Object originally cataloged as 39492 (78C) is unchanged. It is thought to be Aist-1.
  Object originally cataloged as 39493 (78D) no longer exists (last TLEs Jan 14).
  Its orbit of 601 x 625 km was similar to 78B and may have been a tracking error of some kind.
  The extra object was a mystery at the time, so its deletion makes things match what was expected.
  Object originally cataloged as 39494 (78E) is now 39490 (78A). Thought to be SKRL-756-1 calsphere.
  (Ref.7(JR695-Mar28,2014)
• SKRL-756 nº1 will be Cosmos 2492
  SKRL-756 nº2 will be Cosmos 2493. (JR697)

Mission details:

• The inaugural launch of the Soyuz-2-1V on Dec 28, 2013 carried the Aist satellite and two SKRL-756 calibration spheres. These were deployed from a long cylindrical adapter attached to the Volga stage into a 599 x 625 km x 82.4 deg orbit. The Volga stage with its adapter was expected to be deorbited over the South Pacific. The Soyuz second stage was left in a 259 x 594 km x 82.4 deg orbit.

External links:

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