science

Kosmos 2499

Kosmos 2499 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kosmos 2499 rather than just read about it. In short: Kosmos 2499 was a Russian Nivelir-series satellite operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces in low Earth orbit (LEO) from its launch on May 23, 2014, to its breakup on January 4, 2023. It was speculated to be an experimental orbital anti-satellite weapon (ASAT).

Key takeaways

Kosmos 2499 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kosmos 2499 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kosmos 2499 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kosmos 2499 was a Russian Nivelir-series satellite operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces in low Earth orbit (LEO) from its launch on May 23, 2014, to its breakup on January 4, 2023. It was speculated to be an experimental orbital anti-satellite weapon (ASAT).

Mission The satellite was launched on May 23, 2014, from Plesetsk, Russia on a Rokot/Briz-KM launch vehicle along with 3 Rodnik-S satellites. Following launch the spacecraft was provisionally described by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office as Object E until its identity was confirmed. USSPACECOM tracked it under satellite catalog number 39765. Some reports have speculated, based on its unusual powered maneuvers, that it may be an experimental anti-satellite weapon, satellite maintenance vehicle, or collector of space debris. Chatham House research director and space security expert Patricia Lewis stated that "whatever it is, [Object 2014-028E] looks experimental." According to an article published on the official Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology website, congratulating the developers on the successful launch and deployment, the satellite is designed to test experimental plasma propulsion engines/ion thrusters, designed by the JSC Reshetnev Company and the Keldysh Research Center. The article states that the engines are part of a new generation of Hall effect thrusters and are designed to be able to shift a spacecraft on an east-west and north-south axis using a fraction of the energy required by current propulsion systems.

Post-mission In December 2021 USSPACECOM catalogued 18 debris associated with Kosmos 2499. On February 6, 2023, US Space Command confirmed that the breakup of Kosmos 2499 had occurred on January 4, 2023, at 03:57 UTC. They catalogued 85 associated pieces, orbiting at 1,169 kilometres (726 mi) altitude.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kosmos 2499

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kosmos 2499 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kosmos 2499 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kosmos 2499 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kosmos 2499

In research: Kosmos 2499 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kosmos 2499 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kosmos 2499 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2014 in Russia, Kosmos satellites, Spacecraft launched in 2014, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kosmos 2499 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Kosmos 2499 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kosmos 2499 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kosmos 2499 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kosmos 2499 in simple terms?

Why does Kosmos 2499 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kosmos 2499?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kosmos 2499.