Kosmos 2479 ( meaning ''Cosmos 2479'') is a Russian

US-KMO US-KMO (), an abbreviation for Upravlyaemy Sputnik - Kontinenty Morya Okeany () meaning ''Controllable Satellite - Continents, Oceans, Seas'' is a series of Russian, previously Soviet, satellites which are used to identify ballistic missile launch ...

missile

early warning An early warning system is a warning system that can be implemented as a Poset, chain of information communication systems and comprises sensors, Detection theory, event detection and decision support system, decision subsystems for early identi ...

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

which was launched in 2012 as part of the

Russian Aerospace Defence Forces The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) () was a branch of the Russian Armed Forces responsible for aerospace defence, operation of Russian military satellites and the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. It was established on 1 December 2011 and dissolved ...

Oko OKO (, obsolete Russian word for eye, also an abbreviation for Ob'yedinonnyye Kristallom Osnovaniya (, literal meaning Foundations Bound by a Crystal)) is a complex of two skyscrapers located on plot 16 in the Moscow International Business Cen ...

programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using

infrared telescope An infrared telescope is a telescope that uses infrared light to detect celestial bodies. Infrared light is one of several types of radiation present in the electromagnetic spectrum. All celestial objects with a temperature above absolute zero ...

s. It was the last US-KMO geostationary satellite, to be launched, prior to the system being replaced by EKS. Kosmos 2479 was launched from Site 81/24 at

Baikonur Cosmodrome The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area. All Russian Human spaceflight, crewed spaceflights are l ...

in Kazakhstan. The last

Proton-K The Proton-K, also designated Proton 8K82K after its GRAU index or SL-12 after its model number, was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81/23, 8 ...

carrier rocket with a DM-2 upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 05:49 UTC on 30 March 2012. The launch successfully placed the satellite into

geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...

. It subsequently received its

Kosmos Cosmos generally refers to an orderly or harmonious system. Cosmos or Kosmos may also refer to: Space * ''Cosmos 1'', a privately funded solar sail spacecraft project * Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), a Hubble Space Telescope Treasury Project ...

designation, and the international designator 2012-012A. The

United States Space Command United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and greater ...

assigned it the

Satellite Catalog Number The Satellite Catalog Number (SATCAT), also known as NORAD Catalog Number, NORAD ID, USSPACECOM object number, is a sequential nine-digit number assigned by the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM), and previously the North American Aerospac ...

38101. Kosmos 2479 replaced

Kosmos 2440 Kosmos 2440 ( meaning ''Cosmos 2440'') is a Russian US-KMO missile early warning satellite which was launched in 2008 as part of the Russian Space Forces' Oko programme. The satellite is designed to identify missile launches using infrared te ...

which was launched in June 2008 and operated until February 2010. These satellites are moved to 80°E and then moved to their intended position. It arrived at 80°E in mid-April 2012 and featured in the official opening of the Oko eastern control centre at

Pivan-1 Pivan-1 () is a military townlet near Komsomolsk-na-Amur in Khabarovsk Krai in the Russian Far East which is the location of the eastern control centre for Russia's Oko satellites. These give early warning of ballistic missile launches, mainly ...

in May. It started to drift from 80°E in July 2012 and in October 2012 it was stabilised at 166°E, a location registered as Prognoz-6 but which had previously never been used.

References

{{Oko Spacecraft launched in 2012 Spacecraft launched by Proton rockets Kosmos satellites Oko

See also

References