Tsikada (11F643)
USSR / Russia
Tsikada
Tsikada (11F643) was a Soviet civilian satellite navigation system used by the Soviet Merchant Marine and Academy of Sciences, but also by the military. It was an equivalent to the purely military Parus system.
The Tsikada satellites were very similar to the Parus satellites and also used a NPO PM built pressurized cylindrical bus with gravity-gradient stabilization. The satellites transmitted Doppler-shifted VHF transmissions at around 150 MHz and 400 MHz of their position and orbital characteristics. They operated from a 1000 km orbit with 82.9° inclination. Satellites were placed in planes spaced 45° apart.
The development of Tsikada began in 1974 and the first satellite was launched in 1976. The system entered the operational phase in 1978.
21 satellites were launched with one failure to reach orbit, all on Kosmos-3M boosters. All except one received Kosmos designations. A single modified satellite was launched as the last of the series to test the Kurs marine traffic location and control system.
Also operated in the Tsikada system were the Nadezhda and Nadezhda-M satellites, which featured an additional search and rescue system for locating vessels and aircraft in distress.
Beginning in the 1990ies, the Tsikada system was gradually superseded by the Uragan (GLONASS) system.
NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (NPO PM)
KAUR-1
1.5 to 2 years
typical 950 km × 1005 km, 82.9°
Kosmos 883 (Tsikada #1) 1976-122A 15.12.1976 Pl LC-132/1 Kosmos-3M
Kosmos (964) (Tsikada #3) 1977-F06 29.11.1977 Pl LC-132/1 F Kosmos-3M
Kosmos 1000 (Tsikada #4) 1978-034A 31.03.1978 Pl LC-132/1 Kosmos-3M
Kosmos 1506 (Tsikada #10) 1983-108A 26.10.1983 Pl LC-132/1 Kosmos-3M
Kosmos 1861 (Tsikada #16) & RS 10 & RS 11 1987-054A 23.06.1987 Pl LC-132/1 Kosmos-3M
Tsikada 1 (Tsikada #20) 1995-002A 24.01.1995 Pl LC-132/1 Kosmos-3M with Faisat 1, Astrid 1
Further Tsikada / Nadezhda missions:
Nadezhda-M