Zond-PP
| Zond-PP | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Earth observation satellite |
| Country: |
 Russia
|
| Operator: |
 Roscosmos
|
| COSPAR-ID : | 2012-039E |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 156 kg |
| Begin: | July 22, 2012 |
| Starting place: | Baikonur Cosmodrome |
| Launcher: | Soyuz-FG / Fregat |
| Flight duration: | 10 months (originally planned for 3 years) |
| Status: | In orbit, out of order |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 101.1 min |
| Orbit inclination : | 99.1 ° |
| Apogee height : | 826 km |
| Perigee height : | 811 km |
Zond-PP (or MKA-PN1) was a Russian microsatellite that used an L-band UHF panoramic radiometer to study the properties of the earth's surface and aimed at mapping soil moisture and saltwater waters and examining the land-ocean atmosphere. Zond-PP is based on Lavochkin's Karat microsatellite bus. It had nothing to do with the Russian Zond lunar probes .
begin
Zond-PP was launched on July 22, 2012 with a Soyuz Fregat from Baikonur . Four other satellites were also on board: BelKa 2 (BKA) , Kanopus-Vulkan , ExactView 1, and TET 1 .
Equipment and operation
Zond-PP had a multi-spectral camera (Pribor EK) installed on board as a secondary payload.
It was operated with three fold-out solar cells and batteries.
The satellite worked successfully and took many pictures of the earth until suddenly in June 2013 contact was lost. After an investigation, it turned out that the satellite was switched off by a computer error. Zond-PP is currently still in earth orbit and will enter the earth's atmosphere around 2034 .