Kosmos 426 (Russian: Космос 426 meaning Cosmos 426), also known as DS-U2-K No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1971 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 680-kilogram (1,500 lb) spacecraft,^[1] which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to study charged particles and radiation in the Earth's magnetosphere.^[1]

Quick Facts Mission type, COSPAR ID ...

Kosmos 426

Mission type	Magnetospheric
COSPAR ID	1971-052A
SATCAT no.	05281
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	DS-U2-K
Manufacturer	Yuzhnoye
Launch mass	680 kilograms (1,500 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	4 June 1971, 18:10:00 (1971-06-04UTC18:10Z) UTC
Rocket	Kosmos-3M
Launch site	Plesetsk 132/2
End of mission
Decay date	11 May 2002 (2002-05-12)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	388 kilometres (241 mi)
Apogee altitude	1,993 kilometres (1,238 mi)
Inclination	74 degrees
Period	109.2 minutes

Close

A Kosmos-3M carrier rocket, with serial number 65014-101, was used to launch Kosmos 426 into low Earth orbit.^[2] The launch took place from Site 132/2 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.^[2] The launch occurred at 18:10:00 UTC on 4 June 1971, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit.^[3]

Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1971-052A.^[4] The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 05281.

Kosmos 426 was the only DS-U2-K satellite to be launched.^[1][5] It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 388 kilometres (241 mi), an apogee of 1,993 kilometres (1,238 mi), 74 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 109.2 minutes.^[6] It was operated until 12 January 1972,^[7] and subsequently remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 11 May 2002.^[6]

• 1971 in spaceflight