# Cosmos 2293
**Wikidata**: [Q12753702](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12753702)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-2293

## Summary
Cosmos 2293 (also spelled Kosmos 2293) is a Russian military satellite that was launched on 2 November 1994 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90 aboard a Tsyklon-2 rocket. Catalogued under international designator 1994-072A and satellite number 23336, it belongs to the class of spacecraft used for defense-related missions by the former Soviet Union and its successor states.

## Key Facts
- **Launch date**: 2 November 1994 at 01:04 UTC
- **Launch vehicle**: Tsyklon-2 (expendable Soviet/Ukrainian rocket)
- **Launch site**: Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90, Kazakhstan
- **International designator (COSPAR ID)**: 1994-072A
- **Satellite catalogue number (SCN)**: 23336
- **Entity type**: Military satellite
- **Alternative spelling**: Kosmos 2293
- **Wikipedia coverage**: hr, mk, sh, sr language editions
- **Wolfram Language entity code**: Entity["Satellite", "23336"]

## FAQs
### Q: What kind of satellite is Cosmos 2293?
A: Cosmos 2293 is a military satellite, meaning it was built and operated for defense purposes rather than civilian communications or scientific research.

### Q: When and where did Cosmos 2293 launch?
A: It lifted off at 01:04 UTC on 2 November 1994 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90 in Kazakhstan, using a Tsyklon-2 rocket.

### Q: How is Cosmos 2293 catalogued internationally?
A: The satellite is registered as 1994-072A by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and assigned satellite number 23336 in public tracking catalogues.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 2293 represents one of the last military satellites deployed during the immediate post-Soviet era, illustrating how the newly independent Russian Federation continued strategic space operations amid political upheaval. Military satellites like Cosmos 2293 provided—and still provide—essential reconnaissance, early-warning, or communications capabilities that shape national-security decision-making. Because details on payload and mission objectives remain classified, the flight also exemplifies the opaque nature of defense-related space activity, underscoring why independent satellite cataloguing (COSPAR ID, SCN) and launch-vehicle tracking are critical for transparency in low-Earth orbit. Finally, the use of the Tsyklon-2 rocket highlights the enduring Soviet legacy launch infrastructure that underpinned Russia's early 1990s space access.

## Notable For
- One of the few military payloads flown on Tsyklon-2 after the Soviet Union's dissolution
- Carries the sequential "Cosmos" designation that conceals classified Russian defense spacecraft
- Launch occurred less than three years after the USSR's formal end, showing continuity in Russian military space programs
- Catalogued in four South-Slavic Wikipedia editions, indicating regional interest despite limited public data

## Body
### Mission and Identity
Cosmos 2293 is registered in public satellite catalogues as object 23336. The "Cosmos" (Russian: Космос) series is a generic name applied to a wide variety of Soviet and Russian spacecraft, both civilian and military, effectively masking mission specifics when classification requirements exist. Cosmos 2293's assignment to the military-satellite category confirms its defense-oriented role, but payload details remain undisclosed.

### Launch Details
The satellite rode the Tsyklon-2 (also transliterated Cyclone-2) rocket, an expendable two-stage launch vehicle derived from the R-36 intercontinental ballistic missile. Liftoff took place at Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 90, the same complex used for numerous Soviet lunar and planetary missions. Launch occurred at 01:04 UTC on 2 November 1994, placing the spacecraft into low-Earth orbit.

### Technical Legacy
Tsyklon-2 was capable of delivering roughly 3,000 kg to a 200 km circular orbit, so Cosmos 2293's mass likely falls within that envelope. The rocket family flew 106 missions between 1969 and 2006, establishing a reputation for reliability in deploying military payloads. No de-orbit or end-of-life information has been published; the satellite may still be in orbit as tracked debris or could have re-entered unannounced.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report