COSPAR ID 1968-119A Launch mass 352 kilograms (776 lb) Launch date 26 December 1968 | Spacecraft type DS-U2-GF Manufacturer Yuzhnoye Design Office Decay date 18 July 1969 | |
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Kosmos 262 (Russian: Космос 262 meaning Cosmos 262), also known as DS-U2-GF No.1, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 352-kilogram (776 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used to study the Sun.
A Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket was used to launch Kosmos 262 into low Earth orbit. The launch occurred at 09:45:01 UTC on 26 December 1968, and resulted in the successful insertion of the satellite into orbit. It took place from Site 86/4 at Kapustin Yar. Upon reaching orbit, the satellite was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-119A. The North American Aerospace Defense Command assigned it the catalogue number 03629.
Kosmos 262 was the only DS-U2-GF satellite to be launched. It was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 255 kilometres (158 mi), an apogee of 747 kilometres (464 mi), 48.4 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 94.6 minutes. It completed operations on 3 May 1969, before decaying from orbit and reentering the atmosphere on 18 July.