Russian Space Forces

Yantar-4K2M 1

Soyuz-U-PVB

SUCCESS
Success

Friday, September 24, 2004 · 16:50 UTC

Mission

/01

Film-return reconnaisance satellite. Maneuvered on October 1 to a 213 x 330 km orbit. Believed to be an improved Yantar-4K1 with a longer lifetime - and given the code name 'Kobalt' previously applied to the defunct Yantar-4K2 system. When re-entry was commanded after only 107 days in orbit, there was speculation that problems had arisen with the satellite. Sources claimed the satellite had some kind of control problem, which was brought under control, and the two smaller film return capsules were successfully returned.

Mission Type

Government/Top Secret

Orbit

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Probability

N/A

Status

Launch Successful

Vehicle & Pad

/02

Rocket

Soyuz-U-PVB

Variant: U-PVB

Launch Pad

16/2

Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

62.960° N, 40.683° E

123

Pad Launches

1538

Location Launches

59

Agency Launches

39

Orbital This Year

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