Kosmos

Kosmos 1

Mission Profile

The Kosmos (Kosmos 1) was a two-stage Soviet light launch vehicle derived from the R-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, used for placing small military and scientific satellites into low Earth orbit. Standing 31 m tall with a 1.7 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 109 tonnes, it generated 990 kN of liftoff thrust and could deliver 450 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in October 1961, the Kosmos was a workhorse for the Soviet small satellite programme, launching hundreds of Kosmos-designated military and scientific payloads before being superseded by the more capable Kosmos-3M.