# Cosmos 1921
**Wikidata**: [Q12907526](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12907526)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1921

## Summary
Cosmos 1921 was a Soviet military spy satellite launched on February 19, 1988. Categorized as a Zenit 8 class spacecraft, it was deployed into orbit using a Soyuz-U rocket from the Gagarin's Start launch site. This mission was part of the Soviet Union's extensive Cosmos program, which primarily obfuscated military reconnaissance satellites with generic designations.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Cosmos 1921 is an instance of a **Zenit 8**, a class of military spy satellite utilized by the Soviet Union.
*   **Launch Date:** The satellite was successfully launched on **February 19, 1988**.
*   **Launch Vehicle:** It was propelled into orbit by a **Soyuz-U** rocket, a universal variant of the Soyuz design.
*   **Launch Site:** The mission lifted off from **Gagarin's Start**, a historic launch pad.
*   **Launch Time:** The rocket launch occurred at exactly **08:00:00** UTC.
*   **Identifiers:** The satellite holds the COSPAR ID **1988-011A** and the Satellite Catalog Number (SCN) **18875**.
*   **Aliases:** It is also known by the Russian transliteration **Kosmos 1921**.
*   **Operator:** The satellite was operated by the **Soviet Union**.

## FAQs
### Q: What type of satellite was Cosmos 1921?
A: Cosmos 1921 was a military spy satellite belonging to the Zenit 8 class. It was used by the Soviet Union for reconnaissance purposes.

### Q: When and how was Cosmos 1921 launched?
A: The satellite was launched on February 19, 1988, at 08:00:00 UTC. It was delivered to orbit by a Soyuz-U rocket launched from the Gagarin's Start site.

### Q: What is the significance of the name "Zenit 8" in relation to this mission?
A: "Zenit 8" refers to the specific class or design of the satellite. The Zenit series were typically Soviet military reconnaissance satellites, and Cosmos 1921 is officially classified as an instance of this specific hardware.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 1921 represents a specific data point in the later stages of the Cold War space race, illustrating the Soviet Union's continued reliance on automated reconnaissance systems during the late 1980s. As a Zenit 8 satellite, it was part of a lineage of specialized military hardware designed to gather intelligence, distinct from the civilian or scientific missions often publicized by space agencies. The use of the "Cosmos" designation highlights a standard Soviet practice of the era: masking the true military nature of reconnaissance flights under a generic, scientific-sounding program name.

The mission also underscores the robustness and versatility of the Soviet space infrastructure. Launching from the historic Gagarin's Start pad—the same site used for the first human spaceflight—Cosmos 1921 utilized the Soyuz-U rocket, a workhorse of the Soviet fleet. This mission exemplifies the intersection of military necessity and established aerospace engineering, serving as a historical marker for Soviet space capabilities just a few years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

## Notable For
*   **Military Application:** Being a documented military spy satellite (Zenit 8) rather than a civilian scientific probe.
*   **Historic Launch Site:** Utilizing "Gagarin's Start," one of the most historically significant launch pads in space exploration history.
*   **Precise Chronology:** Having a recorded launch time precise to the second (08:00:00), indicating a tightly controlled launch window.
*   **Late-Cold War Era:** Representing Soviet space operations in 1988, shortly before the geopolitical shifts of the early 1990s.

## Body

### Mission Overview
Cosmos 1921 was launched under the umbrella of the Soviet Cosmos program, a long-running series of satellites that encompassed a wide variety of scientific and military missions. Officially, the satellite is recorded as an **instance of Zenit 8**, a specific class of spacecraft. The primary function of this class was military surveillance, classifying the entity as a "military spy satellite."

### Launch Specifications
The launch was executed using a **Soyuz-U** rocket, a variant described as the "Universal" design within the Soyuz family. The launch took place on **February 19, 1988**.

The specific location for the liftoff was **Gagarin's Start** (also known as Site 1/5). This site is historically significant as the pad used for Vostok 1. The launch event was precisely timed, occurring at **08:00:00**.

### Technical Identifiers
For tracking and cataloging purposes, Cosmos 1921 is identified by several key designators:
*   **COSPAR ID:** 1988-011A
*   **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 18875
*   **Wolfram Language Entity Code:** `Entity["Satellite", "18875"]`

These identifiers allow the object to be uniquely distinguished from the thousands of other objects in Earth's orbit. The satellite is also referenced under the alias **Kosmos 1921** in various databases, reflecting the transliteration from Russian.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report