# Cosmos 77
**Wikidata**: [Q1119707](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1119707)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cosmos-77

## Summary
Cosmos 77 was a Soviet reconnaissance satellite launched on August 3, 1965. Belonging to the Zenit-4 class of satellites, it was deployed into orbit using a Voskhod launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It is identified internationally by the designator 1965-061A.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Cosmos 77 is an instance of the **Zenit-4** class of Soviet reconnaissance satellites.
*   **Launch Date:** The satellite was launched on **August 3, 1965**.
*   **Launch Time:** The specific launch event occurred at **11:00:00**.
*   **Launch Site:** It launched from **Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31**.
*   **Launch Vehicle:** The payload was delivered to orbit using a **Voskhod** rocket.
*   **COSPAR ID:** The international identifier for this mission is **1965-061A**.
*   **Satellite Catalog Number:** The US Space Command number (SCN) is **01469**.
*   **Aliases:** The satellite is also known as **Kosmos 77**.

## FAQs
### Q: What type of satellite was Cosmos 77?
A: Cosmos 77 was a Soviet reconnaissance satellite. It was specifically a model of the Zenit-4 class, which was used for military observation and intelligence gathering.

### Q: When and where was Cosmos 77 launched?
A: Cosmos 77 was launched on August 3, 1965, at 11:00:00 UTC. It lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 in the Soviet Union.

### Q: What rocket was used to launch Cosmos 77?
A: Cosmos 77 was launched aboard a Voskhod launch vehicle. This rocket was a derivative of the R-7 Semyorka family, used for both crewed and uncrewed Soviet space missions.

### Q: What are the international identifiers for Cosmos 77?
A: The satellite carries the COSPAR ID 1965-061A and the Satellite Catalog Number 01469.

## Why It Matters
Cosmos 77 serves as a representative example of the Soviet Union's intensive space reconnaissance strategy during the Cold War. As a Zenit-4 satellite, it illustrates the operational maturity of the Soviet military space program in the mid-1960s, utilizing standardized, recoverable spacecraft for intelligence gathering rather than relying solely on human crews orintercontinental probes.

The mission highlights the dual-use nature of Soviet space technology during this era. While the launch vehicle, Voskhod, is historically famous for carrying the first multi-person crews and the first spacewalks, its use for Cosmos 77 demonstrates its critical role as a workhorse for deploying military assets. Launching from Site 31 at Baikonur, a premier launch complex, further emphasizes the strategic importance placed on these reconnaissance missions. By assigning the mission a "Cosmos" designation (Kosmos 77), the Soviet Union obscured the mission's military nature under the guise of scientific research, a standard practice of the time that defines the historical categorization of such satellites.

## Notable For
*   **Class Designation:** Being a confirmed unit of the **Zenit-4** class, a distinct generation of Soviet photoreconnaissance satellites.
*   **Specific Launch Timing:** Records indicate a precise launch time of **11:00:00**, a specific detail often omitted in general summaries.
*   **Launch Infrastructure:** Utilizing **Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31**, an operational alternative to the famous Site 1 ("Gagarin's Start"), used for R-7 family launches.
*   **Nomenclature:** Illustrating the Soviet "Kosmos" program's naming convention (Cosmos 77), used to mask the true military objectives of reconnaissance flights.

## Body
### Mission Classification and Identity
Cosmos 77 was officially cataloged as a satellite of the Earth. It operated under the Soviet "Kosmos" program, which assigned sequential numbers to Soviet satellites to obscure their specific military functions.

*   **Instance of:** Zenit-4
*   **Category:** Soviet reconnaissance satellite
*   **Alternate Name:** Kosmos 77
*   **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/121nxhdr
*   **Wolfram Language Entity Code:** Entity["Satellite", "01469"]

### Launch Operations
The launch of Cosmos 77 was a significant event in the 1965 space calendar, executed by the Soviet Union utilizing reliable infrastructure derived from their early intercontinental ballistic missile programs.

*   **Point in Time:** 1965-08-03
*   **Event Type:** Rocket launch
*   **Location:** Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31
*   **Time:** 11:00:00
*   **Start Point:** Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 (confirmed via structured property data)

### Technical Identifiers
The satellite is tracked and identified through multiple international and national databases using the following specific codes:

*   **COSPAR ID:** 1965-061A (The international designation assigned by the Committee on Space Research).
*   **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 01469 (The sequential number assigned by the US Space Command).
*   **Wikipedia Presence:** The entity has entries in five languages: Hungarian (hu), Macedonian (mk), Polish (pl), Serbo-Croatian (sh), and Serbian (sr).

### Related Technologies
Cosmos 77 is structurally and historically linked to two major Soviet aerospace entities:
*   **Voskhod (Launch Vehicle):** The rocket used to propel the satellite. The Voskhod was a modified version of the R-7 rocket designed to carry heavier payloads than the previous Vostok rockets.
*   **Zenit-4 (Satellite Class):** The specific model of the satellite. The Zenit-4 was an advanced version of the earlier Zenit-2, typically equipped with higher resolution cameras for detailed reconnaissance.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report