# Cosmos 1297
**Wikidata**: [Q13566533](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13566533)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1297

## Summary
Cosmos 1297 is a Soviet Zenit 6U reconnaissance (spy) satellite, launched on 18 August 1981. It was placed into orbit from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41 atop a Soyuz-U rocket and is cataloged with COSPAR ID 1981-079A and Satellite Catalog Number 12716.

## Key Facts
- Official name: Cosmos 1297 (alias: Kosmos 1297).  
- Spacecraft class/instance: Zenit 6U (a Soviet spy / reconnaissance satellite class).  
- COSPAR ID: 1981-079A.  
- Satellite Catalog Number (SCN): 12716.  
- Launch date: 1981-08-18.  
- Launch site (start point): Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41.  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-U.  
- Significant event: rocket launch from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41 at 09:30:00 on 1981-08-18.  
- External identifier (Wolfram): Entity["Satellite", "12716"].  
- Wikipedia language coverage (sitelinks): mk, sh, sr.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Cosmos 1297?
A: Cosmos 1297 is a Soviet Zenit 6U reconnaissance (spy) satellite that was launched into orbit on 18 August 1981.

### Q: When and where was Cosmos 1297 launched?
A: Cosmos 1297 was launched on 1981-08-18 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41. The recorded launch event time is 09:30:00 on that date.

### Q: What rocket launched Cosmos 1297?
A: The satellite was launched aboard a Soyuz-U launch vehicle.

### Q: How is Cosmos 1297 cataloged?
A: It carries COSPAR ID 1981-079A and Satellite Catalog Number 12716.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 1297 is part of the Zenit 6U family, a class explicitly identified as Soviet reconnaissance (spy) satellites. As one entry in the long-running Cosmos series, it represents a unit of the Soviet Union’s space-based intelligence and observation capabilities during its operational period. The spacecraft’s launch on 18 August 1981 from Plesetsk using a Soyuz-U vehicle demonstrates continued reliance on established Soviet launch infrastructure and hardware (Plesetsk Site 41 and the Soyuz-U platform). Its cataloging with a COSPAR ID and satellite catalog number ensures the satellite is uniquely tracked and referenced in international space object registers and scientific databases (for example, the Wolfram entity code linked to SCN 12716). For researchers, historians, and orbital analysts, Cosmos 1297 provides a concrete data point within the broader Zenit program and Soviet space operations of the early 1980s.

## Notable For
- Being a Zenit 6U-class satellite, explicitly categorized as a Soviet spy/reconnaissance satellite.  
- Launch date and time: 18 August 1981, with a recorded launch time of 09:30:00.  
- Launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41, a principal Soviet/Russian military launch site.  
- Launched on a Soyuz-U launch vehicle, a widely used Soviet rocket variant.  
- Clearly identified in catalog systems: COSPAR ID 1981-079A and SCN 12716 (Wolfram Entity["Satellite", "12716"]).

## Body
### Identification
- Name: Cosmos 1297 (alias Kosmos 1297).  
- Spacecraft class: Zenit 6U.  
- Role: Reconnaissance / spy satellite (classification indicated by the Zenit 6U class).

### Launch details
- Launch date: 1981-08-18.  
- Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41 (recorded as the start point).  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-U.  
- Significant event record: rocket launch at Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41 with event time 09:30:00 on 1981-08-18.

### Cataloging and identifiers
- COSPAR (International Designator): 1981-079A.  
- Satellite Catalog Number (SCN): 12716.  
- External database code: Wolfram Entity["Satellite", "12716"].  
- Wikipedia coverage: articles exist in Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), and Serbian (sr).

### Platform and program context
- Instance of: Zenit 6U class, which is described as a Soviet spy satellite class.  
- Launch hardware context: Soyuz-U launch vehicle (a design variant in the Soyuz family).  
- Launch site context: Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 41, used for military and government launches.

### Sources and registry references
- Primary structured references for identification, launch, and classification are held in the dataset referenced (internal registry entry used for SCN and other structured properties).

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report