Seventh Generation Photo Recons
In August, 1994, an apparently new type of photographic reconnaissance spacecraft was launched as Kosmos 2290. Although its initial orbit of 212 km by 292 km at an inclination of 64.8 degrees was not unusual, its use of a Zenit-2 launch vehicle was. Throughout Kosmos 2290's 221-day mission, the spacecraft behaved similarly to other Russian photo recons, although its apogee altitude was progressively raised during normal anti-drag maneuvers. Just prior to its return to Earth, the spacecraft moved into a markedly higher orbit unlike previous military spacecraft. One week later the spacecraft was de-orbited over the Pacific Ocean. In the absence of any information on Kosmos 2290 by the Russian Military Space Forces, the space craft's nature is still under investigation in the West, and the spacecraft has tentatively been designated as the first seventh-generation Photo recon (Reference 46).
In the July 26, 2009 imaging reconnaissance satellite launch of Kosmos-2441 is believed to be the seven year design mission life time "Persona" Satellite. This extended life imaging satellite was launched by the Soyuz-U higher performance booster.
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