AMSAT-LU   Satellite Data

RS-46 COSMOS-2491

Catalog number: 39497
Launch Date: Dec 25, 2013
Status: Operational.

COSMOS 2499 "Fighter satellites"

The Kosmos 2491 and 2499 satellites are secretive Russian satellites, which performed apparently orbital rendezvous and inspection manoeuvres.

The exact nature of the payloads remains undisclosed, but observer orbital manoeuvres indicate, that the carried out proximity operations with the Briz-KM upper stage of the launch vehicle.

Both payloads were initially not announced during the launch, which led to confusion over the Kosmos numbers of subsequent launches.

The satellites are similar in size and weight to the Yubileyniy satellite, as they share the same payload position during launch with the Strela-3M main payloads on the Rokot-KM launch vehicle.

The satellites have been rumored to have ion engines, but the nature of the orbital manoeuvres hints to conventional chemical thrusters.

Both satellites carried also an amateur radio payload. It is called RS-46 on Kosmos-2491 and RS-47 on Kosmos-2499.

[12252013]435.465,0,435.565,CW-N,CW-N