| Mission type | Test flight |
|---|---|
| Operator | Soviet space program |
| COSPAR ID | 1967-021A |
| SATCATno. | 02705 |
| Mission duration | 8 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz 7K-L1 No. 2P |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz 7K-L1 |
| Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
| Launch mass | 5375 kg[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 10 March 1967, 11:30:33 GMT |
| Rocket | Proton-K /Blok D |
| Launch site | Baikonur,Site 81/23 |
| Contractor | OKB-1 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Deorbited |
| Decay date | March 18, 1967 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric[2][a] |
| Regime | Highly elliptical Earth[a] |
| Periapsis altitude | 177 km[a] |
| Apoapsis altitude | 296 km[a] |
| Inclination | 51.5°[a] |
| Period | 89.2 minutes[a] |
| Epoch | 10 March 1967 |
a Presumably, this is initial orbit information. | |
Kosmos 146 (Russian:Космос 146,lit. 'Cosmos 146'), also known asSoyuz 7K-L1 No. 2P, was a Soviet test spacecraft precursor to theZond series, launched from theBaikonur Cosmodrome aboard the inaugural flight of theProton-K rocket, an improved version of the Proton, which had been launched four times before.[3]
The spacecraft was designed to launch a crew from the Earth to conduct a flyby of the Moon and return to Earth. The primary focus was acircumlunar flight, which would help document the Moon while also showing Soviet power. The test ran from the Zond program from 1967 to 1970, which produced multiple failures in the7K-L1's re-entry systems. The remaining 7K-L1s were scrapped, ultimately replaced by theSoyuz 7K-L3.[4]
Kosmos 146 was a Soviet test precursor to the Zond series, launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome aboard a Proton K rocket. It was launched into a plannedhighly elliptical Earth orbit. TheBlok D stage functioned correctly in putting the spacecraft into a translunar trajectory. It was not aimed at the Moon and no recovery of the spacecraft was planned or attempted. It was a successful mission that created false confidence just before a string of failures that would follow.[1]
Kosmos 146 was launched using aProton-K carrier rocket, which flew fromSite 81/23 atBaikonur. The launch occurred at 11:30:33 GMT on 10 March 1967 and was successful. Kosmos 146 was operated in an Earth orbit, it had a perigee of 177 kilometres (110 mi), an apogee of 296 kilometres (184 mi), an inclination of 51.5° and an orbital period of 89.2 minutes. Kosmos 146decayed from orbit on 18 March 1967.[2]
By the time the spacecraft was launched, the United States had already deployed prototypes of their lunar vehicle (AS-201,AS-202,AS-203) inlow earth orbit. The United States flight tests came to a halt when the crew ofApollo 1 was killed by a fire in thecommand module two months before the launch of Kosmos 146.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
