Russia and Unknown Missions
As noted, the Russian Military Forces introduced an apparently new photographic reconnaissance system or variant in 1994 with the flight of Kosmos 2290. Whereas its nature was readily discernible by its orbital behavior, the mission of Kosmos 2285, which was launched three weeks earlier, remained undefined at the end of the year. Kosmos 2285 was launched by a Kosmos-3M booster from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome and inserted into an orbit of 974 km by 1013 km at an inclination of 74.0 degrees. This orbital regime had not been employed by the USSR/CIS since 1972 when an early generation navigation satellite system was shifted to the present-day 83 degrees inclination.
According to an ITAR-TASS news release, "the launch had been successful and that it wascarried out in the interests of the Ministry of Defense" (Reference 132). Through early 1995 the spacecraft exhibited no maneuverable characteristics, and its radar cross-section of a few square meters was consistent with Parus and Tsikada class gravity-gradient satellites. Also like most LEO navigation satellites, no operational debris was found after deployment which might suggest the release of special sensor covers or appendages such as solar arrays or antennas.
In addition, no signal receptions from Kosmos 2285 were reported by the Kettering Group, thereby preventing a possible association with other military space systems. Visual observations of Kosmos 2285 by Paul Maley indicated that the spacecraft presented an optical signature virtually identical to Russian LEO navigation satellites. Further information or flight activity will be required before Kosmos 2285 can be better categorized.
