11/20/21, 5:07 PM Kosmos 1408 - Wikipedia

Kosmos 1408

Kosmos 1408
Mission type ELINT
COSPAR ID 1982-092A (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1982-092A)
SATCAT no. 13552
Mission duration 6 months (planned)

Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft Kosmos 1408
Spacecraft type ELINT
Bus Tselina-D
Launch mass 2,200 kg (4,900 lb)

Start of mission
Launch date 16 September 1982
Rocket Tsyklon-3
Launch site Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 32/2

End of mission
Destroyed 15 November 2021

Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit[1]
Regime Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude 645 km (401 mi)
Apogee altitude 679 km (422 mi)
Inclination 82.50°
Period 97.80 minutes
Kosmos Series
 

Kosmos 1408 (Russian: Космос-1408) was an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) satellite
operated by the Soviet Union. It was launched into low Earth orbit on 16 September 1982, replacing
Kosmos 1378. On 15 November 2021, it was destroyed in a Russian anti-satellite weapon test,
resulting in space debris in orbits between 300 and 1,100  km (190 and 680 miles) above the Earth.
The threat of potential collision with debris forced the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) to
take shelter in their escape capsules.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_1408 1/5
11/20/21, 5:07 PM Kosmos 1408 - Wikipedia

Contents
Purpose and launch
Destruction
Reactions
See also
References

Purpose and launch

The satellite was part of the Tselina-D system of ELINT military
surveillance satellites.[2][3] It was developed by Yuzhnoye/OKB-
586, and had a mass of around 2,200 kg (4,900 lb)[4] and a radius
of around 2.5 metres (8.2  ft),[5] with an expected lifespan of
around six months.[6] It replaced Kosmos 1378 in the Tselina
system.[4]

Kosmos 1408 was launched on a Tsyklon-3 launch vehicle on 16

September 1982,[6] from Site 32/2[7] at the Plesetsk
Cosmodrome.[4] It was placed in low Earth orbit, with a perigee of The orbital decay of Kosmos 1408
since 1980, compared with the ISS
645  km (401  mi), an apogee of 679  km (422  mi), and an
inclination of 82.5°. Its orbital period was 97.8 minutes.[1] It did
not have a propulsion system, and its orbit was slowly decaying.[8]

Destruction
On 15 November 2021 at around 02:50 UTC,[8] the satellite was
destroyed, generating a space debris cloud that threatened the
International Space Station.[2] The seven crew members aboard
the ISS (four American, two Russian, one German)[9] had to put
on their spacesuits[10] and take shelter in the crew capsules[11] so
they could quickly return to Earth if debris struck the station.[12] The warning periods coincided with
The satellite had been in an orbit at an altitude just above the ISS ISS and Kosmos-1408 orbits
orbital altitude,[3] and the debris passes by the ISS every 93 crossing, by Jonathan McDowell.
minutes. [13] The crew sheltered for only the second and third
passes through the debris field, due to an assessment of the debris
risk,[14] and there is no evidence that any debris hit the station.[8] The debris also poses a risk to other
low Earth orbit satellites.[12][5]

The United States Department of State subsequently accused Russia of having targeted Kosmos 1408
during an anti-satellite weapon test, using a ground-based missile against their own defunct
satellite,[13] saying that it was "dangerous and irresponsible".[9] The following day, Sergei Shoigu, the
Russian minister of defence, acknowledged that the debris was due to a Russian missile test, but
argued that it posed no threat to any space activities.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_1408 2/5
11/20/21, 5:07 PM Kosmos 1408 - Wikipedia

The direct-ascent anti-satellite[10]

A-235 missile ("Nudol")[7] was launched from Plesetsk
Cosmodrome[12] at around 02:45 UTC[8] The system has been undergoing testing since 2014, but this
was the first satellite it had destroyed.[7] The Outer Space Treaty, which Russia has ratified, bans some
types of military activities in space, but not anti-satellite missiles using conventional warheads.[15]

The US spokesperson, Ned Price, said the event generated about 1500 pieces of debris that can be
tracked by ground-based radars,[13][16] and hundreds of thousands more that are more difficult to
track.[12] LeoLabs detected around 300 pieces on 18 November, and also estimated that there were
around 1500 ground-trackable pieces in total. They also noted that this is lower than expected
compared to other anti-satellite tests, meaning that the pieces are expected to have higher masses so
will stay in orbit for longer,[5] and that the lower-than-expected number of debris pieces might be
because it was not a hypervelocity collision.[17] The debris is expected to continue in orbit for several
years, potentially decades.[18] By 16 November the debris was orbiting at altitudes between 440 and
520 km (270 and 320 miles);[12] by 17 November this range increased to 300 to 1,100 km (190 to 680
miles).[19]

Reactions
NASA administrator Bill Nelson stated that, "With its long and storied history in human spaceflight, it
is unthinkable that Russia would endanger not only the American and international partner
astronauts on the ISS, but also their own cosmonauts" with two Russian cosmonauts on the ISS out of
seven astronaut personnel, and the "actions are reckless and dangerous, threatening as well the
Chinese space station."[20][10]

The Secure World Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving a safe space environment, noted that
other countries have conducted anti-satellite tests in recent years, and called upon the United States,
Russia, China, and India to declare unilateral moratoriums on further testing of their antisatellite
weapons.[21]

See also
1985 ASM-135 ASAT test – United States anti-satellite missile test
2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test
Mission Shakti – 2019 Indian anti-satellite missile test
Operation Burnt Frost – 2008 United States anti-satellite missile test
Kessler syndrome – hypothetical runaway debris cascade making low Earth orbit inaccessible for
centuries
Gravity – fictional 2013 science fiction movie in which a Russian satellite shoot-down creates a
catastrophic Kessler syndrome-inciting debris swarm

References
1. "Trajectory: Kosmos-1408 1982-092A" (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTraject
ory.action?id=1982-092A). NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021. This article
incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. "Astronauts Forced to Take Shelter as Debris Cloud Threatens Space Station" (https://gizmodo.co
m/astronauts-forced-to-take-shelter-as-debris-cloud-threa-1848057874). Gizmodo. Retrieved
15 November 2021.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_1408 3/5
11/20/21, 5:07 PM Kosmos 1408 - Wikipedia

3. Trevithick, Joseph. "Russian Anti-Satellite Test Produces Dangerous Debris Cloud In Orbit:
Reports (Updated)" (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43140/russian-anti-satellite-test-produ
ces-dangerous-debris-cloud-in-orbit-reports). The Drive. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
4. "Display: Kosmos-1408 1982-092A" (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id
=1982-092A). NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021. This article incorporates
text from this source, which is in the public domain.
5. "Analysis of the Cosmos 1408 Breakup" (https://leolabs-space.medium.com/analysis-of-the-cosmo
s-1408-breakup-71b32de5641f). Medium. 18 November 2021.
6. "Tselina-D (11F619, Ikar)" (https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/tselina-d.htm). Gunter's Space
Page. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
7. Graham, William (15 November 2021). "Russia tests anti-satellite missile, debris disrupts
International Space Station" (https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/11/russia-anti-satellite-missile
-debris/). NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
8. "Jonathan's Space Report | Space" (https://planet4589.org/space/asat/nudol.html).
planet4589.org.
9. "Russian Anti-Satellite Missile Test Poses No Threat – Moscow" (https://www.bbc.com/news/scien
ce-environment-59169899). BBC News. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
10. CNN, Kylie Atwood, Jim Sciutto, Kristin Fisher and Nicole Gaouette. "US says it 'won't tolerate'
Russia's 'reckless and dangerous' anti-satellite missile test" (https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/15/po
litics/russia-anti-satellite-weapon-test-scn/index.html). CNN. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
11. Gohd, Chelsea (15 November 2021). "Did Russia just launch an anti-satellite test that created a
cloud of space junk?" (https://www.space.com/russia-asat-launch-test-space-debris-field).
Space.com. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
12. "Russian Anti-Satellite Test Adds to Worsening Problem of Space Debris" (https://www.bbc.com/n
ews/science-environment-59307862). BBC News. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November
2021.
13. Grush, Loren (15 November 2021). "Russia blows up a satellite, creating a dangerous debris
cloud in space" (https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/15/22782946/russia-asat-test-satellite-internati
onal-space-station-debris). The Verge. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
14. Potter, Sean (15 November 2021). "NASA Administrator Statement on Russian ASAT Test" (http
s://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-administrator-statement-on-russian-asat-test). NASA.
Retrieved 16 November 2021.
15. "Outer Space Treaty" (https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspace
treaty.html). United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. November 2021. Retrieved
16 November 2021.
16. "US accuses Russia of "dangerous" behavior after anti-satellite weapons test" (https://www.thegua
rdian.com/science/2021/nov/15/us-investigating-debris-event-space-reports-russia-anti-satellite-w
eapon-test). The Guardian. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
17. "Part II — New Observations on Cosmos 1408 Breakup" (https://leolabs-space.medium.com/part-ii
-new-observations-on-cosmos-1408-breakup-3d8e5441f720). Medium. 19 November 2021.
18. "Russian direct-ascent anti-satellite missile test creates significant, long-lasting space debris" (http
s://www.spacecom.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2842957/russian-direct-ascent-anti-satellite-mi
ssile-test-creates-significant-long-last/). United States Space Command. Retrieved 16 November
2021.
19. Berger, Eric (17 November 2021). "New images and analyses reveal extent of Cosmos 1408
debris cloud" (https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/11/new-images-and-analyses-reveal-extent-of
-cosmos-1408-debris-cloud/). Ars Technica.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_1408 4/5
11/20/21, 5:07 PM Kosmos 1408 - Wikipedia

20. Weitering, Hanneke (16 November 2021). "NASA chief Bill Nelson condemns Russian anti-
satellite test" (https://www.space.com/nasa-chief-condemns-russian-anti-satellite-test).
Space.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
21. "New images and analyses reveal extent of Cosmos 1408 debris cloud" (https://arstechnica.com/s
cience/2021/11/new-images-and-analyses-reveal-extent-of-cosmos-1408-debris-cloud/). Ars
Technica. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kosmos_1408&oldid=1056272609"

This page was last edited on 20 November 2021, at 20:14 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;

additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_1408 5/5