Launch date 16 May 1967 | ||
Manufacturer S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia People also search for Kosmos 143, Kosmos 138, Kosmos 147 | ||
Background
Kosmos 159 was one of many satellites designed the Soviet Space Program given the Kosmos (satellite) designation. This satellite specifically was designed to be a high orbit satellite used in order to gain information on trajectory anomalies caused by the moons gravitational pull. This data would have been vital to the USSR space program and could have been the difference in successful manned missions to the moon. This mission was also used to test radio communications into space. Kosmos 159 launched May 16, 1967 and although the satellite had been designed for high orbit the main thruster cut out too early causing the satellite to only reach lower orbit. Asif Siddiqi speculated that even though this mission was a failure the USSR scientists were still able to use Cosmos 159 for its intended purpose. Kosmos 159 fell back to earth November 11, 1967.