Tselina-2 Credit - Yuzhnoye

Improved model of the Tselina ELINT satellite with increased frequency range and on-board method of determining the position of fixed transmitters.

Based on the first generation Tselina ELINT, TSNII-KS at the beginning of the 1970's developed the specifications for an improved model. The original Tselina-2 design was authorized in March 1973 and handled by prime contractor TsNIRTI Minradioprom (M E Zaslovskiy) for the ELINT equipment and KB Yuzhnoye (KB-3, B S Khimrov) for the spacecraft bus. The launch vehicle was by OKB MEI Minvuza (A F Bogomolov) and the encrypted communications system by 0-TsNII KS MO. The draft project was drawn up in the first quarter of 1974 and the MO approved the TTZ in May 1974. After a long review process the VPK issued the project plan for development of the system in December 1976.

The new TTZ specification called for a satellite with increased mass and lifetime. This would be launched by the Zenit booster and be a universal Army-Navy system, replacing the separate earlier-generation systems. Data received would be transmitted directly to ground stations via geosynchronous communications satellites.

Delays in development of the Zenit launch vehicle resulted in a revised schedule in a VPK decree of 27 April 1979, with trials then to begin in the second quarter of 1981. Finally the Ministry of Defense gave up waiting for the Zenit and a resolution was issued in September 1984 to launch the first two trials flights by Proton booster in 1984 and 1985. Gherman Titov was in charge of the state commission that oversaw Zenit-boosted trials flights. These began in 1985 and the system was finally accepted into service in 1987. On the sixth attempt the satellite was lost in a catastrophic launch disaster.

Tselina-2 had a vertically-stacked configuration and was 3-axis stabilized. The Korvet radio reception system was used.

Typical orbit: 829 km circular orbit, 70.9 deg inclination. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb).

• 1973 March 1 - Tselina-2 ELINT satellite authorised -
  The improved model had an increased frequency range and on-board method of determining the position of fixed transmitters. The Tselina-2 prime contractors were TsNIRTI Minradioprom (M E Zaslovskiy) for the ELINT equipment and KB Yuzhnoye (KB-3, B S Khimrov) for the spacecraft bus. The launch vehicle was by OKB MEI Minvuza (A F Bogomolov) and the encrypted communications system by 0-TsNII KS MO.

• 1974 May 1 - Tselina-2 specifications approved. -
  The draft project was drawn up in the first quarter of 1974 and the MO approved the TTZ in May 1974.

• 1976 December 1 - Military-Industrial Commission approves Tselina-2 development plan. -
  After a long review process the VPK issued the project plan for development of the system in December 1976. It would now use the new Zenit launch vehicle.

• 1980 December 1 - First Tselina-2 spacecraft completed. -
  The first flight trials system was completed in December 1980, but delays in the development of the Zenit launch vehicle meant that the first two trials flights had to be aboard Proton boosters in 1984 and 1985. Zenit-boosted flights began in 1985 and the system was accepted into service in 1987.

• 1984 September 28 - Cosmos 1603 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC200/39. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 832 km (516 mi). Apogee: 863 km (536 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  First launch of new Tselina-2 ELINT satellite.

• 1985 May 30 - Cosmos 1656 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC200/40. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 802 km (498 mi). Apogee: 852 km (529 mi). Inclination: 71.10 deg. Period: 101.40 min.
  

• 1985 October 22 - Cosmos 1697 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 843 km (523 mi). Apogee: 853 km (530 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  First launch of new Tselina-2 ELINT satellite on Zenit-2 launch vehicle.

• 1985 December 28 - Cosmos 1714 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. FAILURE: Second stage failed to ignite. Partial Failure. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 160 km (90 mi). Apogee: 850 km (520 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 94.70 min.
  Tselina-2 ELINT satellite placed in unusable orbit due to second stage failure.

• 1987 March 18 - Cosmos 1833 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 845 km (525 mi). Apogee: 855 km (531 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  

• 1987 May 13 - Cosmos 1844 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 844 km (524 mi). Apogee: 851 km (528 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  

• 1988 May 15 - Cosmos 1943 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 837 km (520 mi). Apogee: 851 km (528 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.80 min.
  

• 1988 November 23 - Cosmos 1980 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 841 km (522 mi). Apogee: 849 km (527 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.80 min.
  

• 1990 May 22 - Cosmos 2082 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/2. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 838 km (520 mi). Apogee: 857 km (532 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  

• 1990 October 4 - Tselina-2 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/2. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. FAILURE: First stage engine exploded after 3 seconds. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb).
  

• 1991 August 30 - Tselina-2 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. FAILURE: Second stage exploded due to heating problems in main engine. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb).
  

• 1992 February 5 - Tselina-2 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. FAILURE: Second stage malfunction due to heating problems in main engine. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb).
  

• 1992 November 17 - Cosmos 2219 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 845 km (525 mi). Apogee: 854 km (530 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  

• 1992 December 25 - Cosmos 2227 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 845 km (525 mi). Apogee: 855 km (531 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  

• 1993 March 26 - Cosmos 2237 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 847 km (526 mi). Apogee: 855 km (531 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
  

• 1993 September 16 - Cosmos 2263 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 845 km (525 mi). Apogee: 857 km (532 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
  

• 1994 April 23 - Cosmos 2278 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 846 km (525 mi). Apogee: 857 km (532 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
  

• 1994 November 24 - Cosmos 2297 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 845 km (525 mi). Apogee: 857 km (532 mi). Inclination: 71.01 deg. Period: 101.96 min.
  

• 1995 October 31 - Cosmos 2322 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Perigee: 847 km (526 mi). Apogee: 854 km (530 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
  

• 1996 September 4 - Cosmos 2333 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Perigee: 849 km (527 mi). Apogee: 852 km (529 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
  New heavy ELINT class.

• 1997 May 20 - Heavy ELINT - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. FAILURE: Strut in first stage engine failed at T+48 seconds.
  

• 1998 July 28 - Cosmos 2360 - Program: Tselina. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Perigee: 847 km (526 mi). Apogee: 855 km (531 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
  

• 2000 February 3 - Cosmos 2369 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Perigee: 849 km (528 mi). Apogee: 860 km (534 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 101.95 min.
  ELINT satellite.

• 2004 June 10 - Cosmos 2406 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Perigee: 846 km (525 mi). Apogee: 866 km (538 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 102.10 min.
  Delayed from February 17 and 18; March 17 and 31; April 6, 25 and 26.

• 2007 June 29 - Cosmos 2428 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC45/1. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Perigee: 846 km (525 mi). Apogee: 857 km (532 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
  Signals intelligence satellite. First launch in three years, and first with the improved version of the Zenit-2 launch vehicle using components developed for the Zenit-3SL.