Russia: Developing Programme of Satellite Replacement

Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 19 May: The state-owned company Space Communications is developing a programme of renewal of Russia’s orbital satellite grouping for the years 2007-15, the company’s press service told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.

The programme envisages the manufacture and delivery into geostationary orbits of two new-generation communications and broadcasting satellites, Ekspress-AM33 and Ekspress-AM44, and of three small telecommunications satellites with improved technical performance.

The implementation of the programme will allow Russia retaining its frequency orbital resource and significantly expanding technical possibilities of Space Communications.

The satellite will have orbital lifetime of more that 12 years, and the number of ground relay stations will increase to 80, broadening the range of satellite services provided by Space Communications to customers.

The Ekspress-AM satellites will be manufactured at Moscow’s Reshetnev science and production association and small satellites at the Khrunichev Space Centre.

The new satellites will be launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on heavy-lift Proton rockets.

Russia’s orbital grouping currently includes 12 satellites. Four Ekspress-AM craft will be added to it by 2006.