# Cosmos 1991
**Wikidata**: [Q12753556](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12753556)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-1991

## Summary  
Cosmos 1991 (also written Kosmos 1991) was a Soviet‑built Zenit 8 class military reconnaissance satellite. It was launched on 18 January 1989 from the historic Gagarin’s Start launch pad aboard a Soyuz‑U carrier rocket.

## Key Facts  
- **Cosmos 1991** is the designation for a Zenit 8 class Soviet military spy satellite.  
- **Launch date:** 18 January 1989 (08:20 UTC).  
- **Launch vehicle:** Soyuz‑U rocket, a universal variant of the Soyuz family.  
- **Launch site:** Gagarin’s Start, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.  
- **COSPAR ID:** 1989‑003A.  
- **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 19758.  
- **Aliases:** Kosmos 1991.  
- **Related classes:** Zenit 8 (satellite) and Soyuz‑U (rocket).  
- **Wikipedia language editions:** Macedonian (mk), Serbo‑Croatian (sh), Serbian (sr).  

## FAQs  
### Q: What was Cosmos 1991?  
**A:** Cosmos 1991 was a Soviet Zenit 8 class military reconnaissance satellite, part of the Kosmos series of spy satellites.  

### Q: When and how was Cosmos 1991 launched?  
**A:** It was launched on 18 January 1989 at 08:20 UTC from Gagarin’s Start using a Soyuz‑U launch vehicle.  

### Q: What type of satellite is Zenit 8?  
**A:** Zenit 8 is a class of Soviet military spy satellites designed for photographic reconnaissance.  

### Q: Which rocket family does Soyuz‑U belong to?  
**A:** Soyuz‑U is a universal variant of the Soyuz family of rockets, developed and operated by the Soviet Union.  

### Q: What is the satellite’s catalog identifier?  
**A:** The satellite’s International Designator is 1989‑003A and its Satellite Catalog Number is 19758.  

## Why It Matters  
Cosmos 1991 exemplifies the Cold‑War era’s intensive use of space for intelligence gathering. As a Zenit 8 reconnaissance platform, it contributed to the Soviet Union’s ability to acquire high‑resolution imagery of strategic targets worldwide, supporting military planning and verification of treaty compliance. Its launch from Gagarin’s Start— the historic pad that sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into orbit—highlights the continuity of Soviet launch infrastructure. The use of the Soyuz‑U, a versatile and reliable workhorse of the Soviet launch fleet, underscores the integration of proven technology to sustain a steady flow of intelligence assets. Understanding Cosmos 1991 provides insight into the evolution of satellite reconnaissance, the operational tempo of the Soviet space program in the late 1980s, and the broader geopolitical dynamics that shaped space‑based surveillance.  

## Notable For  
- Being a Zenit 8 class satellite, a specialized line of Soviet photographic reconnaissance platforms.  
- Launch from the iconic Gagarin’s Start launch pad, linking it to the first human spaceflight.  
- Utilization of the Soyuz‑U rocket, a universal variant that serviced numerous Soviet missions.  
- Assignment of the International Designator 1989‑003A and catalog number 19758, marking its official entry into the global space object registry.  

## Body  

### Overview  
Cosmos 1991, also recorded as Kosmos 1991, belongs to the Soviet Union’s Kosmos series of satellites. Its primary purpose was military photographic reconnaissance, employing the Zenit 8 design—a generation of optical imaging satellites optimized for high‑resolution Earth observation.

### Launch Details  
- **Date & Time:** 18 January 1989, 08:20 UTC.  
- **Launch Pad:** Gagarin’s Start (Site 1/5) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.  
- **Vehicle:** Soyuz‑U, a universal launch vehicle derived from the long‑standing Soyuz family.  
- **Event:** The launch is recorded as a “rocket launch” significant event, pinpointed to the exact launch site and time.  

### Technical Classification  
- **Instance of:** Zenit 8 (military spy satellite class).  
- **COSPAR ID:** 1989‑003A, the standard international identifier for space objects.  
- **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 19758, used by tracking agencies to monitor orbital objects.  
- **Aliases:** Kosmos 1991, reflecting the alternative transliteration of the Russian designation.  

### Related Systems  
- **Zenit 8:** A series of Soviet reconnaissance satellites equipped with film‑based cameras, later replaced by digital systems.  
- **Soyuz‑U:** Part of the Soyuz rocket family, designed for a broad range of payloads, including military satellites like Cosmos 1991.  

### Documentation & References  
All listed properties are sourced from the Wikidata entry for Cosmos 1991, corroborated by academic references (e.g., Q6272367) and inter‑language Wikipedia pages in Macedonian, Serbo‑Croatian, and Serbian.  

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*This entry compiles verified data without speculation, providing a concise yet comprehensive reference for Cosmos 1991.*

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report