# Cosmos 1259
**Wikidata**: [Q12907342](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12907342)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1259

## Summary
Cosmos 1259 (also Kosmos 1259) is a Soviet Zenit 6U class reconnaissance (spy) satellite that was launched on 17 March 1981. It was placed into orbit by a Soyuz-U launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31.

## Key Facts
- Cosmos 1259 is an instance of the Zenit 6U class, a Soviet spy satellite design.  
- COSPAR ID: 1981-026A.  
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 12341.  
- Launch date: 17 March 1981.  
- Launch time (recorded event): 08:40:00 on 17 March 1981.  
- Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31.  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-U (a Soyuz rocket design variant — "Universal") from the Soviet Union.  
- Alternate name/alias: Kosmos 1259.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite","12341"].  
- Has Wikipedia entries in Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), and Serbian (sr).

## FAQs
### Q: What is Cosmos 1259?
A: Cosmos 1259 is a Soviet Zenit 6U class reconnaissance (spy) satellite that was launched on 17 March 1981. It is also catalogued as COSPAR 1981-026A and SCN 12341.

### Q: When and where was Cosmos 1259 launched?
A: Cosmos 1259 was launched on 17 March 1981 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31. The recorded launch time is 08:40:00 on that date.

### Q: What rocket launched Cosmos 1259?
A: The satellite was launched by a Soyuz-U launch vehicle, a Universal variant of the Soyuz rocket family used by the Soviet Union.

### Q: Under what other name is Cosmos 1259 known?
A: Cosmos 1259 is also referred to as Kosmos 1259.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 1259 is part of the Zenit 6U series of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, representing an element of the Soviet Union’s space-based intelligence and observation capability in the early 1980s. As an instance of the Zenit 6U class, it belongs to a family of satellites designed for reconnaissance missions, which play a role in national security, situational awareness, and photographic intelligence. Its launch on 17 March 1981 from Baikonur using a Soyuz-U vehicle demonstrates the operational use of the Soyuz-U “Universal” launch variant for placing such payloads into orbit. Identifiers such as COSPAR 1981-026A and SCN 12341 provide definitive cataloguing for tracking and historical record. The existence of Wikipedia pages in multiple languages and a Wolfram Language entity code indicates that Cosmos 1259 is documented across reference systems and remains a recorded element of Soviet-era space activity.

## Notable For
- Being an identified instance of the Zenit 6U Soviet reconnaissance (spy) satellite class.  
- Launch on 17 March 1981 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 at 08:40:00.  
- Use of the Soyuz-U launch vehicle, the Universal variant of the Soyuz rocket family.  
- Cataloguing identifiers: COSPAR 1981-026A and SCN 12341.  
- Presence in reference systems (Wolfram entity code Entity["Satellite","12341"]) and Wikipedia pages in mk, sh, and sr.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: Cosmos 1259 (alias Kosmos 1259).  
- Type: Zenit 6U class satellite — identified as a Soviet spy/reconnaissance satellite.  
- Purpose: Reconnaissance intelligence (inferred from class designation as "spy satellite").

### Classification and Design
- Instance of: Zenit 6U (Soviet reconnaissance satellite class).  
- Launch vehicle family: Soyuz-U, described as a Soyuz rocket design variant — "Universal".  
- Launch vehicle country association: Soviet Union (as the country associated with Soyuz-U).

### Launch
- Launch date: 17 March 1981.  
- Recorded launch time: 08:40:00 on 17 March 1981.  
- Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 at 08:40:00, 17 March 1981.

### Identifiers and Cataloguing
- COSPAR ID: 1981-026A.  
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 12341.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite","12341"].  
- Sitelink count: 3 (Wikipedia language entries listed below).

### Documentation and References
- Wikipedia language entries available in: Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), Serbian (sr).  
- Structured data references indicate source records used for the satellite’s cataloguing and event reporting.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report