# Cosmos 1690
**Wikidata**: [Q13566686](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13566686)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1690

## Summary
Cosmos 1690 is a Strela-3 military communications satellite launched by the Soviet Union on October 9, 1985, aboard a Tsyklon-3 rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 32. It operated as part of a secure communications network for military purposes.

## Key Facts
- **COSPAR ID**: 1985-094A  
- **SCN (Satellite Catalog Number)**: 16138  
- **Launch Date**: 1985-10-09  
- **Launch Vehicle**: Tsyklon-3  
- **Launch Site**: Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 32  
- **Instance Of**: Strela-3 class (Ukrainian military communications satellite)  
- **Launch Time**: 21:35:00 UTC  
- **Sitelink Count**: 3 (across Wikipedia projects)  

## FAQs  
### Q: What was the primary purpose of Cosmos 1690?  
A: Cosmos 1690 served as a Strela-3 military communications satellite, designed to provide secure, low-data-rate communication links for Soviet military command and control systems.  

### Q: How was Cosmos 1690 launched and where?  
A: It was deployed via a Tsyklon-3 rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 32 at 21:35:00 UTC on October 9, 1985.  

### Q: What is the relationship between Cosmos 1690 and other Strela satellites?  
A: As a Strela-3 class satellite, it belonged to a series of Ukrainian-designed military communications satellites that preceded later Strela variants, sharing similar orbital missions.  

### Q: Why is Cosmos 1690 categorized under "Kosmos"?  
A: "Kosmos" (or "Cosmos") is a Soviet/Russian designation for unclassified satellites, including military assets like Strela-3 to conceal specific functions during the Cold War era.  

## Why It Matters  
Cosmos 1690 exemplifies Cold War-era Soviet military satellite technology, specifically the Strela-3 system that provided critical secure communications for strategic forces. It contributed to the USSR’s space-based infrastructure during a period of heightened geopolitical tension, enabling resilient command networks independent of terrestrial vulnerabilities. Its launch via the reliable Tsyklon-3 vehicle also underscored Ukraine’s role in Soviet space capabilities. Understanding such entities illuminates historical military space operations and the evolution of secure communication systems.  

## Notable For  
- Launch during peak Cold War tensions (1985), reflecting Soviet military satellite modernization efforts.  
- Part of the foundational Strela-3 constellation, later succeeded by enhanced Strela models.  
- One of only three satellites with dedicated Wikipedia entries across multiple languages (Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, Serbian).  
- Deployment from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the USSR’s primary northern launch site.  
- Use of the Tsyklon-3 launcher, a Ukrainian-developed rocket critical to Soviet military satellite access.  

## Body  
### Technical Identity  
- **Name**: Cosmos 1690 (alias: Kosmos 1690)  
- **COSPAR ID**: 1985-094A  
- **SCN**: 16138  
- **Class**: Strela-3 (Ukrainian military communications satellite)  

### Mission Profile  
- **Operator**: Soviet Union  
- **Purpose**: Military communications (secure, store-and-forward data links)  
- **Launch Timing**: 21:35:00 UTC on 1985-10-09  

### Launch Details  
- **Vehicle**: Tsyklon-3 (Soviet/Ukrainian expendable launch vehicle)  
- **Site**: Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 32  
- **Event Type**: Rocket launch  

### Data Availability  
- **W Languages**: Available in Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), Serbian (sr)  
- **Wolfram Code**: Entity["Satellite", "16138"]  
- **Sitelinks**: 3 (cross-language Wikipedia coverage)  

### Historical Context  
- Launched amid Cold War expansion of Soviet military satellite networks.  
- Represents the early iteration of Strela satellites, optimized for compact, mobile communications nodes.  
- Part of the broader "Kosmos" designation system for Soviet spacecraft.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report