Status
Partial Failure
Cosmos 1786 & EPN 03.0694 n°3
Wed Oct 22, 1986 08:00 UTC
An error in the on-board computer prevented the correct mixing of the propellants in the second stage engine. As a result, the RD-120 was less efficient than expected, and released the satellites into a lower orbit than expected.
Cosmos 1786 remained intentionally attached to the EPN 03.0694 n°3.
Rocket
Mission Details
Cosmos 1786
Taifun (Russian: Тайфун) is a family of Soviet military satellites used to calibrate the country's defense radars. Several sub-series of satellites with very different characteristics were launched between 1974 and 1995 and placed in low orbit. The Taifun satellites follow the Lira satellites that are used as targets for missile defense test exercises and for satellite tracking systems. The Taifun are built, like the Lira, by the Yuznhoye Design Office.
The Taifun-1 is an active satellite used to calibrate radars launched by Cosmos rockets. Only one will be launched on Zenit-2. The satellite is a sphere with a diameter of 2 meters and a mass of about 500 kg whose surface is covered by solar cells. Two sub-series were built: Taifun-1A (or Vektor) launched in 24 specimens between 1974 and 1994 and placed on a low orbit and Taifun-1B (or Youg) launched in 14 specimens between 1979 and 1996.
EPN 03.0694 n°3
The EPN 03.0694 was a dynamic simulator of the Tselina-2 ELINT satellite to evaluate the Zenit-2 launch vehicle.