Kosmos 303

Kosmos 303
Mission typeABM radar target
COSPAR ID1969-090A
SATCAT no.04136
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeDS-P1-Yu
ManufacturerYuzhnoye
Launch mass325 kilograms (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date18 October 1969, 10:00:03 (1969-10-18UTC10:00:03Z) UTC
RocketKosmos-2I 63SM
Launch sitePlesetsk 133/1
End of mission
Decay date23 January 1970 (1970-01-24)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude259 kilometres (161 mi)
Apogee altitude426 kilometres (265 mi)
Inclination71 degrees
Period91.4 minutes

Kosmos 303 (Russian: Космос 303 meaning Cosmos 303), known before launch as DS-P1-Yu No.28, was a Soviet satellite which was launched in 1969 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme. It was a 325-kilogram (717 lb) spacecraft, which was built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, and was used as a radar calibration target for anti-ballistic missile tests.