Kosmos 233
| Mission type | ABM radar target |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1968-061A |
| SATCAT no. | 03326 |
| Mission duration | 204 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | DS-P1-Yu |
| Manufacturer | Yuzhnoye |
| Launch mass | 325 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 18 July 1968, 19:59:50 GMT |
| Rocket | Kosmos-2I 63SM |
| Launch site | Plesetsk, Site 133/3 |
| Contractor | Yuzhnoye |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 7 February 1969 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 198 km |
| Apogee altitude | 1514 km |
| Inclination | 82.0° |
| Period | 102.1 minutes |
| Epoch | 18 July 1968 |
Kosmos 233 (Russian: Космос 233 meaning Cosmos 233), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.15, was a Soviet satellite which was used as a radar calibration target for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. It was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and launched in 1968 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It had a mass of 325 kilograms (717 lb).
Kosmos 233 was launched from Site 133/3 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, atop a Kosmos-2I 63SM carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 18 July 1968 at 19:59:50 UTC, and resulted in Kosmos 233's successful deployment into low Earth orbit. Upon reaching orbit, it was assigned its Kosmos designation, and received the International Designator 1968-061A.
Kosmos 233 was operated in an orbit with a perigee of 198 kilometres (123 mi), an apogee of 1,514 kilometres (941 mi), an inclination of 82.0°, and an orbital period of 102.1 minutes. It remained in orbit until it decayed and reentered the atmosphere on 7 February 1969. It was the fifteenth of seventy nine DS-P1-Yu satellites to be launched, and the fourteenth of seventy two to successfully reach orbit.