INTERCOSMOS 22

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INTERCOSMOS 22 is classified as:

Space & Earth Science

NORAD ID: 12645

Int'l Code: 1981-075A

Perigee: 791.5 km

Apogee: 884.7 km

Inclination: 81.2 °

Period: 101.5 minutes

Semi major axis: 7209 km

RCS: 4.833 m² (large)

Launch date: August 7, 1981
Source: Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR) (CIS)
Launch site: PLESETSK MISSILE AND SPACE COMPLEX (PKMTR)

INTERKOSMOS 22, more commonly known as Bulgaria 1300, is the first artificial satellite of Bulgaria. The satellite was developed by the Bulgarian Space Agency around the "Meteor" bus, provided by the Soviet Union as part of the Interkosmos program. Assembly took place in Bulgaria, and the spacecraft was launched from Plesetsk in 13:35 local time on 7 August, 1981. During that same year the Bulgarian government organized a massive celebration to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the country's founding. Interkosmos 22 was successfully inserted in a near-Polar orbit. The outer skin of the spacecraft, including the solar panels, is coated with a conducting material in order to allow the proper measurement of electric fields and low energy plasma. Power is provided by the two solar panels, which generate 2 kW of electricity. A rechargeable battery pack is used as an energy supply when the spacecraft is in an eclipse period. Gathered data is stored on two tape recorders, each with a capacity of 60 megabits. The main transmitter radiates 10 W in the 130-MHz band. No operational limit was planned. As of 2009, the satellite is operational and still on BSA's list of active programs, and provides data about the extreterrestrial environment over Earth's polar regions.