Kosmos 48

Kosmos 48 (Russian: Космос 48 meaning Cosmos 48) or Zenit-2 No.24 was a Soviet optical film-return reconnaissance satellite launched in 1964. A Zenit-2 spacecraft, Kosmos 48 was the twenty-third of eighty-one such satellites to be launched^[4][5] and had a mass of 4,730.0 kilograms (10,427.9 lb).^[1]

Kosmos 48 was launched by a Vostok-2 rocket, serial number R15002-01,^[6] flying from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch took place at 09:50 UTC on 14 October 1964,^[2] and following its successful arrival in orbit the spacecraft received its Kosmos designation; along with the International Designator 1964-066A and the Satellite Catalog Number 908.^[1]

Kosmos 48 was operated in a low Earth orbit; at an epoch of 15 October 1964 it had a perigee of 203 kilometres (126 mi), an apogee of 282 kilometres (175 mi) inclination of 65 degrees and an orbital period of 89.35 minutes. Midway through its planned reconnaissance mission, Kosmos 48's thermal control system malfunctioned, with the temperature inside the spacecraft's pressurised capsule increasing to 43° Celsius.^[1] As a result of the malfunction, the spacecraft was deorbited earlier than had been planned, on 20 October 1964 - six days after launch.^[3] The return capsule, containing the cameras and film, was successfully recovered by parachute.^[1][5]

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