Fragments Analyses of the Soviet Anti-Satellite Tests - Part3

摘要

The Ex-USSR was the first nation to attain anti-satellite capability against orbiting satellites. The method was to maneuver an interceptor/killer satellite to within a certain “kill distance” of the target satellite and detonate a warhead to destroy the target. The first target satellite Kosmas 248 was destroyed by the interceptor satellite Kosmos 252and the second targetKosmos 373was disabled by Kosmos 375 inthis way.Two further tests were carried out using the same "swoop down" technique, where the interceptors in their elliptic orbit were exploded at their common rendezvous/perigee points. In February 1971, the interceptor Kosmos 397 was exploded near its target Kosmos 394. Then in December 1971, the interceptor Kosmos 462 exploded within the kill distance of its target Kosmos 459. This paper reports the velocity perturbations analyses of the fragments of these two events and discusses their possible outcome. In particular, the conflicting assessments of the Soviet and U.S. sources regarding the outcome of the Kosmos 397 fragmentation is addressed. Factors such as the number of fragments produced, directionality of the fragments, intensity of the fragmentation, and target size, are considered. The results support the Soviet assessment that the Kosmos 397 mission was a failure.