# Cosmos 1889
**Wikidata**: [Q13566722](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13566722)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1889

## Summary
Cosmos 1889 was a Soviet military spy satellite launched on October 9, 1987. Designated as a Zenit-8 class spacecraft, it was deployed into orbit using a Soyuz-U rocket from the Gagarin's Start launch site. It is identified internationally by the COSPAR ID 1987-085A.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Cosmos 1889 is an instance of a Zenit-8, a class of military spy satellite utilized by the Soviet Union.
*   **Launch Date:** The satellite was launched on October 9, 1987.
*   **Launch Vehicle:** It was propelled by a Soyuz-U rocket, a universal variant of the Soyuz rocket design.
*   **Launch Site:** The launch took place at Gagarin's Start, a historic launch site.
*   **Launch Time:** The specific time of the rocket launch was 08:30:00.
*   **COSPAR ID:** Its international satellite identifier is 1987-085A.
*   **Satellite Catalog Number:** It holds the Satcat No. 18394.
*   **Also Known As:** The satellite is aliased as "Kosmos 1889."

## FAQs
### Q: What type of satellite was Cosmos 1889?
A: Cosmos 1889 was a Zenit-8 military spy satellite used by the Soviet Union for reconnaissance purposes.

### Q: When was Cosmos 1889 launched?
A: The satellite was launched on October 9, 1987, at 08:30:00 UTC.

### Q: What rocket was used to deploy Cosmos 1889?
A: It was launched aboard a Soyuz-U rocket, a universal variant of the Soyuz launch system.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 1889 serves as a representative example of the Soviet Union's extensive military space program during the late Cold War era. As a Zenit-8 satellite, it highlights the USSR's reliance on robust, film-return reconnaissance spacecraft to gather intelligence on global geopolitical hotspots. The mission underscores the operational maturity of the Soyuz-U rocket, one of the most reliable and frequently used launch vehicles in history, which served as the workhorse for both military and scientific payloads. Launching from Gagarin's Start—the same pad used for the first human spaceflight—links this military operation to the broader legacy of Soviet space exploration achievements. By assigning it a "Cosmos" designation, the Soviet Union continued its standard practice of obscuring the specific military nature of its reconnaissance assets under a generic civilian label.

## Notable For
*   **Military Reconnaissance:** Functioned as a military spy satellite (Zenit-8 class) for the Soviet Union.
*   **Historic Launch Site:** Launched from Gagarin's Start, the site of Vostok 1.
*   **Specific Orbital Tracking:** Uniquely identified by COSPAR ID 1987-085A and Satcat No. 18394.
*   **Reliable Propulsion:** Utilized the Soyuz-U, a universal variant of the Soyuz rocket family.

## Body
### Mission Profile and Classification
Cosmos 1889 was a man-made object designated as a satellite under the Zenit-8 class. Its primary function was as a military spy satellite operated by the Soviet Union. As with many Soviet military satellites, it operated under the "Cosmos" designation to standardize public reporting of military and scientific launches.

### Launch Details
The satellite was successfully launched on **October 9, 1987**. The mission utilized a **Soyuz-U** rocket, described as a Universal variant of the Soyuz rocket design. The launch originated from **Gagarin's Start**, a prominent launch complex. The precise timing of the significant event (the rocket launch) was recorded at **08:30:00**.

### Identifiers and Data
The spacecraft is tracked and referenced in international databases using the following specific identifiers:
*   **COSPAR ID:** 1987-085A
*   **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 18394
*   **Wolfram Language Entity Code:** `Entity["Satellite", "18394"]`

The entry is linked to Wikipedia pages in Macedonian (mk), Serbo-Croatian (sh), and Serbian (sr), and has a sitelink count of 3.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report