Soviet photoreconnaissance satellites

It is pointed out that in recent years approximately 30 percent of Soviet orbital missions have fallen within the Kosmos group of photoreconnaissance satellites which return vehicles to earth for recovery. An overview is provided of the missions flown by the satellites, giving particular attention to the period from August 1980 to June 1982. The first generation of photoreconnaissance satellites was introduced with the launch of Kosmos 4 in April 1962. Observers noticed that this type of Kosmos satellites was generally of the same appearance as the manned Vostok spacecraft of the 1961-1963 time period. The same type of SL-3 booster was employed for both types of spacecraft. The first generation was followed by a second generation, and an extended duration satellite appeared as a third variety in 1968. In October 1968, the first maneuverable photoreconnaissance satellite appeared. The next generation satellites began to fly in 1975. Attention is also given to satellite recoveries and future developments.