Elektron (satellite program)

Elektron 1, 2, 3, and 4

Elektrons 1 and Elektron 2 (identical to 3 and 4)
Mission type	Earth science
Operator	Soviet Union
COSPAR ID	1964-006A (Elektron 1) 1964-006B (Elektron 2) 1964-038A (Elektron 3) 1964-038B (Elektron 4)
Mission duration	61 years, 1 month and 9 days (in orbit)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Launch mass	329 kg (725 lb) (Elektron 1) 444 kg (979 lb) (Elektron 2) 350 kg (770 lb) (Elektron 3) 444 kg (979 lb) (Elektron 4)
Start of mission
Launch date	Elektron 1 and 2: January 30, 1964, 09:45 (1964-01-30UTC09:45Z) UTC Elektron 3 and 4: July 11, 1964, 21:51 (1964-07-11UTC21:51Z) UTC
Rocket	Vostok 8K72K
Launch site	Baikonur LC1
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Perigee altitude	Elektron 1: 406 kilometres (252 mi) Elektron 2: 460 kilometres (290 mi) Elektron 3: 408 kilometres (254 mi) Elektron 4: 459 kilometres (285 mi)
Apogee altitude	Elektron 1: 7,110 kilometres (4,420 mi) Elektron 2: 68,000 kilometres (42,000 mi) Elektron 3: 7,030 kilometres (4,370 mi) Elektron 4: 66,100 kilometres (41,100 mi)
Inclination	61 degrees
Period	168.9 minutes (1/3); 22.5 hours (2/4)

Elektron (Russian: электрон) ('electron'), in American sources sometimes called Electron,^[1] was the first Soviet multiple satellite program, comprising two identical pairs of particle physics satellites launched by the Soviet Union in 1964. The four spacecraft simultaneously monitored the lower and upper Van Allen radiation belts and returned a considerable volume of data regarding radiation in space and atmospheric conditions to an altitude of more than 58,000 kilometres (36,000 mi) above the Earth. Two of the four launched satellites are still in orbit As of 2023^[update], the other two having reentered.