Soviet military satellite Kosmos-124 to crash into Pacific Ocean

The wreckage of the Soviet military satellite Kosmos-1242 that has been flying around Earth for 23 years will burn in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on May 9 at night.

"Specialists of the Center for Space Intelligence continuously monitor the changing parameters of the fragments of spacecraft Kosmos-1242. As of May 8, the object remains in Earth's orbit with the following parameters: orbit time - 87 minutes, inclination - 81 degrees, apogee altitude - 190 km, perigee altitude - 167 km," ITAR -TASS quoted spokesman for aerospace forces, Defense Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin.

According to the forecast of the center, the wreckage of Kosmos-1242 will descend from orbit over the Pacific Ocean at 01:51 Moscow time on the 9th of May. "The final time and place of the fall of the fragments of the spacecraft may change under the influence of external factors," said Zolotukhin.

Soviet spacecraft Kosmos-1242 was launched on January 27, 1981, from Plesetsk cosmodrome on board Vostok-2M carrier rocket. The spacecraft remained in operation in orbit before May 15, 1982.