Express, also spelled Ekspress, is a series of geostationary communications satellites owned by Russian State Company for Satellite Communications. The first satellite of this kind was launched on October 13, 1994. The satellites are produced by the company JSC Information Satellite Systems.
Contents |
Overview
The Ekspress series of communication satellites (industry code 11F639) was developed by the satellite company NPO PM as a replacement for the old Gorizont series of comsats. The first satellite of the series, Ekspress 1, was launched in 1994. It had a mass of 2.5 tons, 17 channels and an operational lifetime of at 5-7 years.
Starting in the mid 1990s, NPO PM started to make significant effort to close the technology cap between Russian and Western communication satellites.[1] Cooperation with the French company Alcatel (now Thales Alenia Space) was begun in 1995.[2] The first satellite of a new second series, Express A-1, had 12 Alcatel-built transponder. It was lost in a rocket failure in 1999, but a replacement, Ekspress A-2 was successfully launched in March, 2000.
A major improvement was the Ekspress AM version, first launched in 2003. It has a operational lifetime of 12-15 years and is able to carry 38 channels, including digital TV, radio, broadband and internet.[3] The launch of the Express AM-3 spacecraft in June, 2005 completed the modernization of Russia's communications satellite network.[4]
Other versions of include the Express 2000, which has a mass of 3.2 tonnes. It has up to 60 transponders, power of 25kW and a lifetime of 15 years. Satellites using using this platform are called the Express AT series and the Express AM30 and AM40 series. Express 1000 is smaller than the 2000 version; 700kg to 1,400kg, 10 to 12 transponders, 2 kW of power and a lifetime of 15 years. Satellites based on Express 1000 are called Express AK or in its navigational version GLONASS K.[1]
The developer NPO PM later changed its name to JSC Information Satellite Systems. From 1999 to 2005, nine Express-A and Express-AM satellites were manufactured by the company.[5]
On August 28, 2008 Express-AM1 switched to DVB-S2 broadcasting system and became the first DVB-S2 satellite in CIS countries.[6]
Satellites
Between 2000 and 2006, the following Ekspress satellites were launched. All launched were conducted from Baikonour Cosmodrome using the Proton rocket.[3]
- Ekspress A-2. 12 March, 2000.
- Ekspress A-3. 24 June, 2000.
- Ekspress A-4. 10 June, 2002.
- Ekspress AM-22. 29 December, 2003.
- Ekspress AM-11. 27 April, 2004.
- Ekspress AM-1. 30 October, 2004.
- Ekspress AM-2. 29 March, 2005.
- Ekspress AM-3. 24 June, 2005.[3]
References
- ^ a b Harvey, Brian (2007). The Rebirth of the Russian Space Program: 50 Years After Sputnik, New Frontiers. Springer. p. 277. ISBN 9780387713540. http://books.google.fi/books?id=kmTz6Phf5WYC.
- ^ "Thales Alenia Space And NPO-PM To Finalize An Industrial Cooperation Agreement". Space Mart. 2007-12-11. http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Thales_Alenia_Space_And_NPO_PM_To_Finalize_An_Industrial_Cooperation_Agreement_999.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-19.
- ^ a b c Harvey, Brian (2007). The Rebirth of the Russian Space Program: 50 Years After Sputnik, New Frontiers. Springer. p. 86. ISBN 9780387713540. http://books.google.fi/books?id=kmTz6Phf5WYC.
- ^ Zak, Anatoly. "Express communications spacecraft". Russianspaceweb.com. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/express.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-21.
- ^ "Achievements in space activity". NPO PM. http://www.npopm.com/?cid=35.
- ^ "Сетьтелеком перевел действующую сеть на стандарт DVB-S2". 2008-08-28. http://sat.uz/2008/01/17/skycrypt.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-28.
External links
Categories: Communications satellites in geostationary orbit
|
