Mission type Optical imaging SATCAT no. 2646 | COSPAR ID 1967-004A Mission duration 8 days Launch date 19 January 1967 | |
Launch mass 4,730.0 kilograms (10,427.9 lb) Manufacturer S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia People also search for Kosmos 143, Kosmos 147, Kosmos 152 | ||
Kosmos 138 (Russian: Космос 138 meaning Cosmos 138) or Zenit-2 No.43 was a Soviet optical film-return reconnaissance satellite launched in 1967. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 138 was the forty-fifth of eighty-one such satellites to be launched and had a mass of 4,730.0 kilograms (10,427.9 lb).
Kosmos 138 was launched by a Vostok-2 rocket, serial number N15001-05, flying from Site 41/1 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch took place at 12:39:59 UTC on 19 January 1967, and following its arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its Kosmos designation; along with the International Designator 1967-004A and the Satellite Catalog Number 2646. The satellite reached a slightly lower orbit than had been planned, but was still able to complete its mission.
Kosmos 138 was operated in a low Earth orbit; at an epoch of 21 January 1967 it had a perigee of 190 kilometres (120 mi), an apogee of 276 kilometres (171 mi) inclination of 64.5 degrees and an orbital period of 89.16 minutes. After 8 days in orbit, Kosmos 138 was deorbited, with its return capsule descending under parachute and landing at 06:14 UTC on 27 January 1967.