COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS)
NORAD 14592
Payload
MEO
1983-127C
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🛰️ Orbital Parameters
Perigee
18911 km
Apogee
19231 km
Inclination
66.3°
Period
673.4 min
Mean Motion
2.13837402 rev/day
TLE Epoch
2026-05-01 09:00:00 UTC
📐 Computed Orbital Characteristics
Avg. Altitude19,071 km
Orbital Velocity14,249 km/h
Velocity3.96 km/s
Orbital Period11 hours 13 minutes
Orbits / Day2.14
Eccentricity0.0063
Semi-Major Axis25,442 km
Est. Orbital LifetimeEffectively permanent — above atmospheric drag
🚀 Launch & Identity
Country / Operator
🇷🇺 Russia (CIS)
Launch Date
1983-12-29
Launch Site
Baikonur, Kazakhstan
Int'l Designator
1983-127C
Object Type
Payload
RCS Size
Medium (0.1–1 m²)
🔗 Constellation / Groups
glo ops
📖 About This Object
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1983-12-29 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 43 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 18,911 km and 19,231 km with an inclination of 66.3°. It travels at approximately 14,249 km/h (3.96 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 13 minutes — that’s roughly 2.14 orbits per day. It is part of the Glo Ops constellation group. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.
🌍 Orbit Context
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) operates in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), the region between LEO and GEO spanning roughly 2,000 to 35,786 km altitude. MEO is home to navigation constellations (GPS at ~20,200 km, Galileo at ~23,222 km, GLONASS at ~19,130 km) and some communications systems. The higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer satellites are needed for global coverage, but signal latency is higher and radiation exposure — particularly from the Van Allen belts — is a significant design challenge.
🔗 GLONASS Navigation Constellation
This satellite is part of GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Russia's global positioning constellation operated by Roscosmos. GLONASS provides positioning, navigation and timing services and operates 24 satellites across three orbital planes at approximately 19,130 km altitude with an inclination of 64.8°. The constellation uses FDMA and CDMA signal techniques and is undergoing modernisation with the GLONASS-K and GLONASS-K2 satellite generations.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 18,911 km (perigee) and 19,231 km (apogee), with an average altitude of approximately 19,071 km. It completes one orbit every 11 hours 13 minutes, travelling at approximately 14,249 km/h (8,854 mph).
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) is operated by Russia (CIS). It is catalogued by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network under NORAD ID 14592. You can track COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) in real time on Orbital Radar’s live tracker.
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) was launched on 1983-12-29 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the world’s first and largest operational space launch facility, located in Kazakhstan.
Yes — Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) (NORAD ID 14592) using the latest TLE (two-line element set) data from Space-Track and CelesTrak. Open the live tracker to see its current position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated in real time.
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) travels at approximately 14,249 km/h (8,854 mph) — roughly 3.96 km/s. It completes 2.14 orbits per day, meaning the crew or instruments aboard (if any) would experience approximately 4 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.
COSMOS 1521 (GLONASS) is a member of the Glo Ops constellation. Satellites in this group work together to provide coordinated coverage, typically in similar orbital planes at comparable altitudes. You can view all Glo Ops satellites on Orbital Radar’s live tracker.