Kosmos 29

Kosmos 29 (Космос 29 in Russian) was a Soviet satellite launched in 1964 as part of the Kosmos program. Officially, it was presented as a research satellite dedicated to studying the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space environment. Its primary mission was to gather data on radiation, charged particles, and electromagnetic fields in the ionosphere.

While officially designated for scientific research, Kosmos 29 is widely believed to have been a test flight of the first-generation Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS), also known as a partial orbital bombardment system. FOBS were designed to deliver nuclear warheads from a low Earth orbit, potentially approaching targets from a direction not easily defended against by traditional early warning systems.

The satellite was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Its orbit was deliberately low, consistent with the requirements for demonstrating the de-orbiting and targeting capabilities of a FOBS. The data collected during the flight, regardless of its ostensible scientific purpose, would have provided crucial information for developing and refining the FOBS technology.

The United States monitored Kosmos 29 closely, as it was a potential violation of the Outer Space Treaty, which prohibited the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Although the system was never deployed operationally, Kosmos 29 and subsequent test flights were significant milestones in the Cold War arms race. After completing its mission, Kosmos 29 decayed naturally from orbit.