Resurs F-2 Credit - © Carsten Wiedemann

Adaptation of recoverable Vostok spacecraft for remote sensing. Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation. Film resolution 9-12 m black and white, 15-18 m multispectral (4-6 spectral bands). Swath width 150 km; total area covered per mission 20.7 million square km. Missions: Cosmos 1906, Cosmos 1965, Cosmos 1990, Resurs-F7. Transmission frequencies observed in West: 231.5 PCM-FM.

In 1987 a more capable version of the Resurs-F1, the Resurs-F2, began operations. The most significant improvement was the addition of two small solar arrays attached to the base of the orbital propulsion unit which permitted active missions for up to a full month. The first mission in late 1987 by Kosmos 1906 was not entirely successful, and the spacecraft was intentionally destroyed in orbit. Four more missions were conducted during 1988-1990, followed by three flights in 1991- 1992.

The Resurs-F2 photographic system differed from that of its predecessor. The SA-M system with its MK-4 camera combined the high resolution of the SA-20M with the multi-spectral capability of the SA-34. Resurs-F2 offered a ground swath of 150 km with a resolution of 5-8 m in six spectral bands from 0.40 micrometer to 0.86 micrometer. As many as 2,700 photographs with image motion compensation and frames 180 mm by 180 mm could be shot on a single mission. The SA-M was also linked to the SA-3R stellar camera which serves the same purpose as the Resurs-F1's SA-33.

Prior to 1991, Resurs-F2 spacecraft would normally maintain a mean altitude of between 260 km and 270 km, requiring only two orbital maneuvers per 30-day mission. Beginning with Resurs-F 10(21 May 1991), a new profile was chosen with mean altitudes between 225 km and 235 km but with a corresponding requirement to perform orbital adjustments more frequently, e.g., six times per mission. This pattern had previously been used primarily by the military topographic mapping satellites which debuted in 1981 and were flown at inclinations of 65 degrees and 70 degrees. The subsequent Resurs-F2 flights, Resurs-F 13 (21 August 1991) and Resurs-F 14(29 April 1992), were virtually identical to Resurs-F 10, both in character and duration. Resurs-F 17 (May-June 1993), the only Resurs-F2 of the 1993-1994 period, also followed this pattern.

Design Life: 30 days. Typical orbit: 170-210-250 km x 250-400-450 km/62.8 or 82.6 deg. Mass: 6,450 kg (14,210 lb).

• 1987 December 26 - Cosmos 1906 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC16/2. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 253 km (157 mi). Apogee: 273 km (169 mi). Inclination: 82.60 deg. Period: 89.80 min. Duration: 65.00 days.
  Also performed earth resources tasks. Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation.

• 1988 August 23 - Cosmos 1965 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 179 km (111 mi). Apogee: 228 km (141 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 88.60 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation.

• 1989 January 12 - Cosmos 1990 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC16/2. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 177 km (109 mi). Apogee: 227 km (141 mi). Inclination: 82.60 deg. Period: 88.50 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation; survey of seismically active regions of the country, including the Armenian SSR, in the interests of industrial and non -industrial construction.

• 1989 February 10 - Cosmos 2000 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 175 km (108 mi). Apogee: 243 km (150 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 88.70 min. Duration: 20.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the Earth in the interests of various branches of the Soviet economy and international cooperation; space-based survey of the central part of Antarctica for purposes of mapping inaccessible regions of that continent.

• 1989 August 15 - Resurs F-04 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/4. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 178 km (110 mi). Apogee: 226 km (140 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 88.50 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation.

• 1990 July 17 - Resurs F-07 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 177 km (109 mi). Apogee: 236 km (146 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 88.60 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the Earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR; solution of problems relating to ecology and international cooperation.

• 1991 May 21 - Resurs F-10 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/4. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 178 km (110 mi). Apogee: 242 km (150 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 88.70 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Also carried microgravity experiments. Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of the various branches of the national economy of the USSR, and solution of problems relating to the environment and to international cooperation.

• 1991 August 21 - Resurs F-13 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 178 km (110 mi). Apogee: 240 km (140 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 88.70 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of the various branches of the national economy of the USSR, and solution of problems relating to the environment and to international cooperation.

• 1992 April 29 - Resurs F-14 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/4. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 225 km (139 mi). Apogee: 230 km (140 mi). Inclination: 82.10 deg. Period: 89.10 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the Earth for the various branches of the national economy, the solution of environmental problems, and international cooperation.

• 1993 May 21 - Resurs F-17 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC16/2. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 176 km (109 mi). Apogee: 255 km (158 mi). Inclination: 82.60 deg. Period: 88.80 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Investigation of the natural resources of the Earth for the various branches of the national economy, the solution of environmental problems, and international cooperation.

• 1995 September 26 - Resurs F2 N.10 - Program: Resurs. Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/4. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Perigee: 255 km (158 mi). Apogee: 277 km (172 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 89.80 min. Duration: 30.00 days.
  Natural resources; photo capsule recovered in Russia on 10/26/95.