Meteor (MV) No. 18L

Retired 1974

Meteor (MV) No. 18L (NORAD 5731, COSPAR 1971-120A) is a retired SU satellite, withdrawn from service around 18 Oct 1974, launched on 29 Dec 1971 on the Meteor-MV No. 18 mission. It was operated by GUKOSR / GMS as part of the Meteor C programme. The spacecraft was built by VNIEM on the Meteor bus, with a mass of 1,280 kg. Historical record from Orbital Radar's satellite archive, cross-referenced with the live satellite catalogue.

1971

launched

1974

retired

years on orbit

1,280

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched29 Dec 1971 · on the Meteor-MV No. 18 mission

Operational18 Oct 1974 · entered service

Retired18 Oct 1974 · end of operational service

StatusOn orbit (not live-tracked)

Specifications

NORAD ID5731

COSPAR1971-120A

TypeSatellite

OperatorGUKOSR / GMS

Country / StateSU

ManufacturerVNIEM

BusMeteor

Mass1,280 kg

ProgrammeMeteor C

CategoryMET

OrbitLEO (LEO/I)

Altitude840 × 928 km

Inclination81.3°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Meteor (MV) No. 18L?

Meteor (MV) No. 18L was retired from service around 18 Oct 1974 after launching in 1971. It is no longer operational but remains catalogued.

Who operated and built Meteor (MV) No. 18L?

Meteor (MV) No. 18L was operated by GUKOSR / GMS and built by VNIEM (SU).

Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.

Browse the live satellite directory → Re-entered satellites archive → Launch record: Meteor-MV No. 18 → What is space debris? →