▁eight y - one ▁such ▁sat ell ites ▁to ▁be ▁launched . ▁ ▁Space craft ▁Kos mos ▁ 1 2 ▁was ▁a ▁Z en it - 2 ▁satellite , ▁a ▁first ▁generation , ▁low ▁resolution , ▁reconna issance ▁satellite ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁V ost ok ▁space craft ▁used ▁for ▁cre wed ▁fl ights , ▁the ▁sat ell ites ▁were ▁developed ▁by ▁OK B - 1 . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁reconna issance , ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁research ▁into ▁radiation ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁V ost ok ▁programme . ▁It ▁had ▁a ▁mass ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁Mission ▁The ▁V ost ok - 2 ▁ro cket , ▁serial ▁number ▁T 1 5 0 0 0 - 1 0 , ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁launch ▁Kos mos ▁ 1 2 . ▁The ▁launch ▁took ▁place ▁from ▁Site ▁ 1 / 5 ▁at ▁the ▁Ba ikon ur ▁Cos mod rome ▁at ▁ 0 9 : 2 1 : 0 0 ▁G MT ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁Following ▁its ▁successful ▁arrival ▁in ▁orbit , ▁the ▁space craft ▁received ▁its ▁Kos mos ▁design ation , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Harvard ▁design ation ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁B eta ▁Om ega ▁ 1 , ▁the ▁International ▁Design ator ▁ 1 9 6 2 - 0 7 2 A , ▁and ▁the ▁Sat ellite ▁Catalog ▁Number ▁ 0 0 5 1 7 . ▁ ▁Kos mos ▁ 1 2 ▁was ▁operated ▁in ▁a ▁low ▁Earth ▁orbit . ▁On ▁ 2 2 ▁December ▁ 1