Kosmos 159

Kosmos 159
Mission type	Uncrewed lunar spacecraft
Operator	GSMZ Lavochkin
COSPAR ID	1967-046A
SATCAT no.	02805
Mission duration	179 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	E-6LS
Manufacturer	GSMZ Lavochkin
Launch mass	1640 kg
Dry mass	1136 kg
Start of mission
Launch date	16 May 1967, 21:43:57 GMT
Rocket	Molniya-M s/n N15001-58
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 1/5
Contractor	TsSKB-Progress
End of mission
Decay date	11 November 1967
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Elliptic Earth
Perigee altitude	350 km
Apogee altitude	60637 km
Inclination	51.8°
Period	1174.0 minutes
Epoch	16 May 1967

Kosmos 159 (Russian: Космос 159, meaning Cosmos 159), E-6LS No.111, was one of many satellites designed during the Soviet space program given the designation Kosmos. This satellite was specifically designed to be a high orbit satellite used to gain information on trajectory anomalies caused by the Moon's gravitational pull. This data would have been vital to the Soviet space program and could have been key in successful crewed missions to the Moon. This mission was also used to test radio communications in space.^[3]

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^ Zelenyi, L. M., A. V. Zakharov, and O. V. Zakutnyaya. "Will the Lunar Renaissance Come Forth?" Solar System Research 45.7, 2011, pp. 697-704, ProQuest, 15 April 2016.

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[3] Zelenyi, L. M., A. V. Zakharov, and O. V. Zakutnyaya. "Will the Lunar Renaissance Come Forth?" Solar System Research 45.7, 2011, pp. 697-704, ProQuest, 15 April 2016.

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