Zenit (satellite)

Zenit

Zenit re-entry capsule, showing camera ports
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Country of origin	Soviet Union
Operator	Soviet space program
Applications	Photo reconnaissance
Production
Status	Retired
Launched	688
Lost	21
Maiden launch	11 Dec 1961 Zenit 2-1
Last launch	7 Jun 1994 Kosmos 2281
Last retirement	8 Nov 2004 Zenit 8-103
Related spacecraft
Derived from	Vostok

Zenit (Russian: Зени́т, IPA: [zʲɪˈnʲit], Zenith) was a series of military photoreconnaissance satellites launched by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1994. To conceal their nature, all flights were given the public Kosmos designation.