Soyuz-U from Baikonur Site 31/6 launched Kosmos 1259, a Zenit-6U (Argon) medium-resolution film-return photoreconnaissance satellite for the Soviet military; the recoverable capsule returned after a short LEO imaging flight ending 31 March.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- LEO
- Low Earth orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 6.3 T
- Flight
- 232nd
- of 714 Soyuz U flights
- Date and time
- 17 March 1981, 08:40 UTC
- Rocket
- Soyuz U
- Builder
- Progress RSC
- Launch site
- 31/6, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
- Payload
- Government/Top Secret
- International designator
- 1981-026
- Launches in 1981
- 27th of 126
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