Harvard designation 1962 Alpha Omega 1 Launch date 27 September 1962 | Mission type Reconnaissance satellite | |
Launch mass 4,700 kilograms (10,400 lb) Landing date 1 October 1962 (1962-11) Manufacturer S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia | ||
Kosmos 9 (Russian: Космос 9 meaning Cosmos 9), also known as Zenit-2 #7, was a Soviet reconnaissance satellite launched in 1962. It was the ninth satellite to be designated under the Kosmos system, and the third successful launch of a Soviet reconnaissance satellite, following Kosmos 4 and Kosmos 7.
Vostok-2 s/n T15000-06 was used to launch Kosmos 9. The launch was conducted from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and occurred at 09:39:51 GMT on 27 September 1962.
Kosmos 9 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 829 kilometres (515 mi), an apogee of 981 kilometres (610 mi), 67.6 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 103.1 minutes. It conducted a four-day mission, before being deorbited and landing by parachute on 1 October.
Kosmos 9 was a Zenit-2 satellite, a reconnaissance satellite derived from the Vostok spacecraft used for manned flights. The next Zenit-2 launch was Kosmos 10. Kosmos 9 carried an area survey reconnaissance payload. In addition to reconnaissance, it was also used for research into radiation in support of the Vostok programme.