COSMOS 1238

Satellite information

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Satellite Type and Status

PAYLOADIN ORBIT

Key statistics

Satellite COSMOS 1238 at a glance.

Uptime

16351

Days in orbit

Revolutions

≈ 14.1

Per day

Orbit

LEO

Low Earth Orbit

Inclination

83.0

Latest

Satellite identification and parameters

Extended collection of information and parameters for COSMOS 1238.

Object identification

Identified? True

Debris? False

Object name: COSMOS 1238

International designator: 1981-003A

Object number (NORAD): 12138

Object ID (CCSDS): 12138

Country: COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS)

Current information (Y/N): Y

RCS size: LARGE

Orbital parameters

Period: 102.042 minutes

Inclination: 82.9594 deg

SMA: 7233.466 km

Apoapsis: 1323.087 km

Periapsis: 387.575 km

RAAN: 46.4197 deg

Eccentricy: 0.06466558

Argument of periapsis: 66.8386 deg

Mean anomaly: 299.9558 deg

Mean motion: 14.11182206 rev/day

Mean motion (dot): 0.00004087 rev/day²

B* drag term: 0.00027274605 1/R_Earth

Two-line elements (TLE)

Creation date: Oct. 23, 2025, 2:46 a.m.

Reference frame: TEME

Reference center: EARTH

Epoch: Oct. 22, 2025, 8:38 p.m. UTC

TLE line 0: 0 COSMOS 1238

TLE line 1: 1 12138U 81003A 25295.85984078 .00004087 00000-0 27275-3 0 9994

TLE line 2: 2 12138 82.9594 46.4197 0646656 66.8386 299.9558 14.11182206236414

Live tracking on map

Real-time ground track for satellite COSMOS 1238.

In-orbit conjunctions

A list of the most updated potential collisions computed for object COSMOS 1238.

Target	Orbit	TCA	Probability of collision	Miss distance	Type
DMSP 5D-2 F11 DEB	SSO	2025-07-19 07:39:18	0.0001032033	87.0 (m)	DEBRIS
COSMOS 1275 DEB	LEO	2025-06-14 06:05:31	0.0001742878	103.0 (m)	DEBRIS
SL-14 DEB	LEO	2025-03-26 20:42:37	0.0002278679	75.0 (m)	DEBRIS
NOAA 17 DEB	SSO	2025-03-11 10:10:43	0.0001199137	740.0 (m)	DEBRIS
COSMOS 755	LEO	2024-05-30 04:14:04	0.0007516068	528.0 (m)	PAYLOAD

Associated space launch

Film-return reconnaissance satellite

COSMOS 1238 was lifted into orbit during the mission ‘Soyuz U | Zenit-4MT 20’, on board a Soyuz U space rocket.

The launch took place on Jan. 16, 1981, noon from 41/1.

For more information about the launch, click the button.

Soyuz U | Zenit-4MT 20

Agency: N/A

Status: Launch Successful

Launch date: Jan. 16, 1981, noon UTC

Rocket: Soyuz U

Launch pad: 41/1

Location: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

...

Go to the launch

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