# Cosmos 1826
**Wikidata**: [Q12907502](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12907502)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1826

## Summary
Cosmos 1826 is a Soviet Zenit-8 military reconnaissance (spy) satellite launched on 11 March 1987. It was placed into launch by a Soyuz-U rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 16 (COSPAR ID 1987-025A; Satellite Catalog Number 17577).

## Key Facts
- Cosmos 1826 is an instance of the Zenit 8 class, a military spy satellite used by the Soviet Union.  
- COSPAR identifier: 1987-025A.  
- Satellite Catalog Number (SCN / SATCAT): 17577.  
- Launch date: 1987-03-11.  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-U (a Soyuz rocket design variant — "Universal") launched on behalf of the Soviet Union.  
- Launch site / start point: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 16.  
- Recorded significant event: rocket launch from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 16 at 10:25:00 on 1987-03-11.  
- Alternate name / alias: Kosmos 1826.  
- Listed in Wolfram Alpha as Entity["Satellite", "17577"].  
- Available Wikipedia language pages: Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), Serbian (sr).

## FAQs
### Q: What was Cosmos 1826?
A: Cosmos 1826 was a Soviet Zenit-8 military reconnaissance (spy) satellite. It was part of the Zenit series of military satellites used by the Soviet Union.

### Q: When and from where was Cosmos 1826 launched?
A: Cosmos 1826 was launched on 11 March 1987 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 16. The recorded launch time for the rocket event is 10:25:00 on 1987-03-11.

### Q: Which rocket put Cosmos 1826 into orbit?
A: Cosmos 1826 was launched aboard a Soyuz-U launch vehicle, a variant of the Soyuz rocket family described as the "Universal" design.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 1826 is a documented element of the Soviet Union’s Zenit-8 reconnaissance satellite program. As a Zenit-8 class satellite, it formed part of the Soviet military satellite fleet and contributed to the nation’s space-based reconnaissance capabilities. The satellite’s mission and identifiers (COSPAR 1987-025A, SATCAT 17577) provide fixed reference points for cataloging and historical study of Soviet launches. Its launch from Plesetsk Site 16 aboard a Soyuz-U vehicle illustrates operational launch infrastructure and vehicle choice for Soviet military payloads of that period. For researchers, historians, and satellite-tracking communities, the precise launch date and time, vehicle type, launch site, and catalog identifiers make Cosmos 1826 a verifiable data point in the record of Soviet space activity and in cross-referencing datasets such as national launch logs, encyclopedia entries, and technical registries like Wolfram Alpha.

## Notable For
- Being an official Zenit-8 class military reconnaissance (spy) satellite of the Soviet Union.  
- Launch on 11 March 1987 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 16.  
- Deployment using the Soyuz-U launch vehicle, a widely used Soviet “Universal” Soyuz variant.  
- Clear catalog identifiers: COSPAR ID 1987-025A and Satellite Catalog Number 17577.  
- Presence in multiple language Wikipedia entries (mk, sh, sr) and a Wolfram Alpha entity listing.

## Body
### Overview
- Name: Cosmos 1826 (alias Kosmos 1826).  
- Class: Zenit 8 — described as a military spy satellite used by the Soviet Union.  
- Primary identifiers: COSPAR 1987-025A; SATCAT/SCN 17577.

### Classification and Cataloging
- Instance of: Zenit 8 (military reconnaissance satellite class).  
- COSPAR ID: 1987-025A.  
- Satellite Catalog Number: 17577.  
- Wolfram Alpha entry: Entity["Satellite", "17577"].

### Launch Details
- Launch date (point in time): 1987-03-11.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch.  
  - Location qualifier: Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 16.  
  - Time qualifier: 10:25:00 (on 1987-03-11).  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-U (a Soyuz rocket design variant — Universal).  
- Launch site / start point: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 16.

### Related Systems
- Zenit 8: the satellite’s class; described as a military spy satellite used by the Soviet Union.  
- Soyuz-U: the rocket family variant used to launch Cosmos 1826; associated with the Soviet Union.

### References and External Listings
- Wikipedia language pages available in Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), and Serbian (sr).  
- Wolfram Alpha entity code: Entity["Satellite", "17577"].

(Entry compiled solely from the provided source material and structured property data.)

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report