# Cosmos 1266
**Wikidata**: [Q12753193](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12753193)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1266

## Summary
Cosmos 1266 (also Kosmos 1266; COSPAR 1981-037A) is a Soviet US-A class artificial satellite — a nuclear-powered surveillance satellite — that was launched on 21 April 1981. It was placed into orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90 aboard a Tsyklon-2 rocket.

## Key Facts
- COSPAR ID: 1981-037A.  
- scn: 12409.  
- Official name / alias: Cosmos 1266 (also spelled Kosmos 1266).  
- Instance of: US-A (Soviet nuclear-powered surveillance satellite series) and an artificial satellite of the Earth.  
- Launch date: 1981-04-21.  
- Launch site (start_point): Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90.  
- Launch vehicle: Tsyklon-2.  
- Significant event: rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90 at 03:45:00 on 1981-04-21.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "12409"].  
- Wikipedia-language coverage: hu, mk, ru, sh, sr (sitelink_count: 5).

## FAQs
### Q: What is Cosmos 1266?
A: Cosmos 1266 is a Soviet US-A class artificial satellite — part of a series of nuclear-powered surveillance satellites — launched into Earth orbit on 21 April 1981 (COSPAR 1981-037A).

### Q: When and where was Cosmos 1266 launched?
A: It was launched on 1981-04-21 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90. The recorded launch event time is 03:45:00 on that date.

### Q: What launch vehicle carried Cosmos 1266?
A: The satellite was launched aboard a Tsyklon-2 expendable launch vehicle.

### Q: How is Cosmos 1266 identified in catalogs?
A: It has COSPAR ID 1981-037A and scn value 12409. It is represented in Wolfram Language as Entity["Satellite", "12409"].

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 1266 is a representative example of the Soviet US-A series of satellites — a class explicitly described as nuclear-powered surveillance satellites. As such, it illustrates two intersecting aspects of space history: the Soviet Union’s use of spaceborne reconnaissance platforms and the deployment of nuclear power systems on satellites. Its launch on 21 April 1981 from Baikonur Site 90 aboard a Tsyklon-2 places it within the sustained Soviet space program operations of the period. For researchers and historians, Cosmos 1266 serves as a data point in cataloging Cold War-era reconnaissance capability, launch vehicle usage, and engineering approaches to powering long-duration satellites. For cataloging and technical tracking, its COSPAR identifier (1981-037A), scn (12409), and presence in reference systems such as the Wolfram Language provide precise links to orbital and archival records. The availability of entries in several language Wikipedias further indicates its documented presence in public reference sources.

## Notable For
- Membership in the US-A series, identified as a Soviet nuclear-powered surveillance satellite.  
- Launch date: 21 April 1981 (COSPAR 1981-037A).  
- Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90 at 03:45:00.  
- Launched by the Tsyklon-2 expendable launch vehicle.  
- Catalog identifiers: scn 12409 and Wolfram entity Entity["Satellite", "12409"].

## Body
### Overview
- Name: Cosmos 1266 (alias Kosmos 1266).  
- Type: Artificial satellite of the Earth.  
- Class/instance: US-A (Soviet nuclear-powered surveillance satellite series).

### Classification and family
- US-A series: identified in source material as Soviet nuclear-powered surveillance satellites.  
- Country association: Soviet Union (as indicated for the US-A class).

### Launch details
- Launch date (point_in_time): 1981-04-21.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch.  
- Launch time qualifier: 03:45:00 on 1981-04-21.  
- Launch site (P276 / start_point): Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90.  
- Launch vehicle: Tsyklon-2 (expendable launch vehicle).

### Identifiers and catalog entries
- COSPAR ID: 1981-037A.  
- scn: 12409.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "12409"].  
- Sitelink / Wikipedia language coverage: hu, mk, ru, sh, sr (sitelink_count: 5).

### Reference metadata
- Source references for the listed structured properties are recorded under the cited dataset (reference tag P248: Q6272367 for many properties; P143: Q200386 for COSPAR ID).  
- Entry appears in multiple language Wikipedias as listed above.

### Coverage and indexing
- The satellite is indexed in at least five language Wikipedias and in Wolfram's satellite entity system.  
- Key catalog identifiers (COSPAR and scn) provide standard means to locate orbital and archival data in external catalogs.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report