Kosmos 2440
Mission typeEarly warning
OperatorVKS
COSPAR ID2008-033A
SATCAT no.33108
Mission duration5–7 years (estimate)
20 months (actual)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeUS-KMO (71Kh6)[1]
ManufacturerLavochkin[1]
Launch mass2,600 kilograms (5,700 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date26 June 2008, 23:59:00 (2008-06-26UTC23:59Z) UTC[2]
RocketProton-K/DM-2
Launch siteBaikonur 81/24
End of mission
DeactivatedFebruary 2010[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude80E [4]
Instruments
Infrared telescope with 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) aperture [1]
 

Kosmos 2440 (Russian: Космос 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 telescopes.[2] It spent its two-year operational life at 80E giving early warning coverage of Russia, China, North Korea, the Middle East and some of Europe.[4]

Kosmos 2440 was launched from Site 81/24 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Proton-K carrier rocket with a DM-2 upper stage was used to perform the launch, which took place at 23:59 UTC on 26 June 2008.[2][5] The launch successfully placed the satellite into geostationary orbit. It subsequently received its Kosmos designation, and the international designator 2008-033A.[2] The United States Space Command assigned it the Satellite Catalog Number 33108.[2]

When the satellite was launched US-KMO satellite Kosmos 2379 was also operational although this failed late 2009/early 2010 after an 8-year life.[4] Kosmos 2440 itself started drifting off station in February 2010 giving an operational life of less than two years.[3][4]

Kosmos 2440 was replaced by Kosmos 2479 which was launched in March 2012.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "US-KMO (71Kh6)". Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cosmos 2440". National Space Science Data Centre. 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  3. 1 2 Pavel, Podvig (2012-09-02). "Only two satellites left in Russia's early-warning system". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Pavel, Podvig (2010-04-28). "Early warning system is down to three satellites". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  5. ↑ Pavel, Podvig (2008-06-27). "Launch of an early-warning satellite". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  6. ↑ Pavel, Podvig (2012-03-30). "Cosmos-2479 – new geostationary early warning satellite". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
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