science

Kosmos 3 (satellite)

Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) rather than just read about it. In short: Kosmos 3 (Russian: Космос 3 meaning Cosmos 3), also known as 2MS No.1 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 13 was a scientific research and technology demonstration satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1962. Spacecraft It was the third satellite to be designated under the Kosmos system, and the first spacecraft to be launched as part of the 2MS programme.

Key takeaways

Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kosmos 3 (satellite) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kosmos 3 (Russian: Космос 3 meaning Cosmos 3), also known as 2MS No.1 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 13 was a scientific research and technology demonstration satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1962.

Spacecraft It was the third satellite to be designated under the Kosmos system, and the first spacecraft to be launched as part of the 2MS programme. Its primary missions were to develop systems for future satellites, and to record data about cosmic rays and radiation. Kosmos 3, an automatic geophysical station, was one of a series of Soviet Earth satellites whose purpose was to study outer space, the upper layers of the atmosphere, and the Earth. Scientific data and measurements were relayed to Earth by multichannel telemetry systems equipped with space-borne memory units. It had a mass of 330 kg.

Mission It was launched aboard Kosmos-2I 63S1 s/n 4LK. It was the fifth flight of the Kosmos-2I, and the third to successfully reach orbit. The launch was conducted from Mayak-2 at Kapustin Yar, and occurred at 04:04:00 GMT on 24 April 1962. Kosmos 3 was placed into a low Earth orbit with a perigee of 216 kilometres (134 mi), an apogee of 707 kilometres (439 mi), an inclination of 49.0°, and an orbital period of 93.8 minutes. It decayed on 17 October 1962. Kosmos 3 was a 2MS satellite, the first of two to be launched. The second, 2MS No.2, would be launched as Kosmos 5 on 28 May 1962. The 2MS was the second of two types of MS satellite to be launched, following the first 1MS spacecraft which had been launched as Kosmos 2.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kosmos 3 (satellite)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite)

In research: Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1962 in spaceflight, 1962 in the Soviet Union, Kosmos satellites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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.

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How to study Kosmos 3 (satellite) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kosmos 3 (satellite) in simple terms?

Why does Kosmos 3 (satellite) 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 3 (satellite)?

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 3 (satellite).