Ekran Credit - © Mark Wade

Ekran was the Soviet Union's first geosynchronous satellite. A preliminary nuclear-powered design was to be boosted from parking orbit by a fluorine/hydrazine upper stage. This was abandoned by 1973, and the final KAUR-3 bus design was a conventional solar-powered platform boosted by a Block DM liquid oxygen/kerosene upper stage. Test flights in 1976-1980 were followed by operational versions that provided television service throughout the vast extent of the Soviet Union.

Work began in the late 1960's and the first design used exotic and dangerous technologies. The satellite was to have been boosted into orbit by the Proton launch vehicle with a new high performance upper stage using Fluorine/Hydrazine propellants. The satellite itself was to be powered by a 5 kW nuclear reactor.

Following a review at the VAKR-1971 seminar in 1971 the nuclear reactor was abandoned. The exotic upper stage, which reached cold flow tests at the Energomash facility in 1973, was also finally abandoned due to the toxic results of any launch vehicle failure on the pad.

The KAUR-3 spacecraft bus finally developed was 3-axis stabilized to within 0.25 degrees of the earth's center using liquid propellant micro-engines. The single-unit body was equipped with solar panels, active liquid-gas phase-change thermoregulation system, and a corrective engine unit for making orbital adjustments. 25 square meters of solar panels provided 1280 W of power.

In the first half of the 1970's the Ekran (Statsionar T) system was completed for color central television broadcast to Siberia and the Far North. The first Ekran was launched on 26 October 1976, 27 months after the experimental Molniya 1S, the first Soviet geostationary test. The first flights used experimental satellites, but they already allowed 18 to 20 million additional Soviet citizens to see the Central Television program.

Operations were delayed due to continuing problems with the Proton launch vehicle. This only had a 20% reliability in 1969, with only 5 of 8 launches being successful in 1976. It was difficult to solve the problem; every failure came in a different system of the vehicle.

Ekran featured a 12 square meter phased array antenna, operating at 702-726 MHz at 2 kW power. Flight trials continued to 1980 before the system was accepted for service. The satellite broadcast 12 to 16 hours of television programming daily. By 1982 3000 receivers were in operation.

Typical orbit: 36147 km x 36333 km at 0 to 13 degrees inclination. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86.

• 1972 April 5 - Unified System of Satellite Communications (YeSSS) -

  Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On use of Molniya and Ekran for a unified satellite communications system' was issued. The YeSSS was defined as the Molniya-2 in elliptical orbit and Raduga (Statsionar) in geosynchronous orbit.

• 1976 October 26 - Ekran 1 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,516 km (22,068 mi). Apogee: 36,080 km (22,410 mi). Inclination: 13.00 deg. Period: 1,436.70 min.

  Statsionar T. Transmission of colour and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to the network of public receiving units located in population centres in Siberia and the Far North. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 99 deg E in 1976-1978 As of 29 August 2001 located at 68.75 deg E drifting at 0.171 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 73.60E drifting at 0.187W degrees per day.

• 1977 September 20 - Ekran 2 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,663 km (22,159 mi). Apogee: 35,938 km (22,330 mi). Inclination: 12.70 deg. Period: 1,436.80 min.

  Statsionar T. Transmission of colour and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to the network of public receiving units located in population centres in Siberia and the Far North. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 99 deg E in 1977-1978 As of 5 September 2001 located at 65.77 deg E drifting at 0.168 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 79.61E drifting at 0.200W degrees per day.

• 1978 August 17 - Ekran s/n 15L - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. FAILURE: Stage 1 - vehicle failed at launch. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb).

• 1978 May 27 - Ekran s/n 13L - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. FAILURE: Stage 1 - vehicle failed at launch. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb).

  Failed launch of communications satellite.

• 1978 October 17 - Ekran s/n 14L - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. FAILURE: Second stage explosion. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb).

• 1979 February 21 - Ekran 3 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,623 km (22,135 mi). Apogee: 35,919 km (22,318 mi). Inclination: 14.60 deg. Period: 1,435.30 min.

  Transmission of color and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 99 deg E in 1979-1981 As of 3 September 2001 located at 51.81 deg E drifting at 0.088 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 98.64E drifting at 0.060E degrees per day.

• 1979 October 3 - Ekran 4 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,725 km (22,198 mi). Apogee: 35,827 km (22,261 mi). Inclination: 14.50 deg. Period: 1,435.60 min.

  Transmission of color and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1979-1981 As of 4 September 2001 located at 52.52 deg E drifting at 0.007 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 4 located at 96.71E drifting at 0.048W degrees per day.

• 1980 December 26 - Ekran 6 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,783 km (22,234 mi). Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Inclination: 14.00 deg. Period: 1,436.40 min.

  Transmission of color and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1981 As of 3 September 2001 located at 96.55 deg E drifting at 0.071 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 2 located at 55.67E drifting at 0.097E degrees per day.

• 1980 July 14 - Ekran 5 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,737 km (22,205 mi). Apogee: 35,834 km (22,266 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Transmission of color and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1980 Last known longitude (14 March 1994) 95.12 deg E drifting at 0.122 deg W per day.

• 1981 June 25 - Ekran 7 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,819 km (22,256 mi). Inclination: 10.50 deg. Period: 1,437.00 min.

  Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1981-1982 As of 1 September 2001 located at 78.87 deg E drifting at 0.201 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 66.59E drifting at 0.197W degrees per day.

• 1982 February 5 - Ekran 8 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,756 km (22,217 mi). Apogee: 36,010 km (22,370 mi). Inclination: 10.00 deg. Period: 1,441.00 min.

  Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1982-1983 As of 28 August 2001 located at 30.39 deg W drifting at 1.165 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 85.74E drifting at 1.235W degrees per day.

• 1982 July 22 - Ekran s/n 23L - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. FAILURE: Stage 1 - vehicle failed at launch. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb).

• 1982 September 16 - Ekran 9 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,704 km (22,185 mi). Apogee: 35,877 km (22,292 mi). Inclination: 13.10 deg. Period: 1,436.30 min.

  Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1982-1983 As of 3 September 2001 located at 99.83 deg E drifting at 0.132 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 45.75E drifting at 0.063E degrees per day.

• 1983 March 12 - Ekran 10 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 37,194 km (23,111 mi). Apogee: 37,453 km (23,272 mi). Inclination: 14.30 deg. Period: 1,515.30 min.

  Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1983-1984 As of 5 September 2001 located at 6.05 deg E drifting at 18.878 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 154.32W drifting at 18.879W degrees per day.

• 1983 September 29 - Ekran 11 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Apogee: 35,815 km (22,254 mi). Inclination: 8.60 deg. Period: 1,436.90 min.

  Launch date suspect Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1983-1984 As of 28 August 2001 located at 73.31 deg E drifting at 0.215 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 73.35E drifting at 0.222W degrees per day.

• 1984 August 24 - Ekran 13 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 36,957 km (22,963 mi). Apogee: 37,087 km (23,044 mi). Inclination: 8.20 deg. Period: 1,499.70 min.

  Stationed at 99 deg E. Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1984-1987 As of 2 September 2001 located at 163.33 deg W drifting at 15.302 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 35.81W drifting at 15.302W degrees per day.

• 1984 March 16 - Ekran 12 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 36,973 km (22,973 mi). Apogee: 37,048 km (23,020 mi). Inclination: 9.10 deg. Period: 1,499.10 min.

  Stationed at 99 deg E. Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1984-1986 As of 4 September 2001 located at 148.57 deg W drifting at 15.168 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 82.29W drifting at 15.169W degrees per day.

• 1985 March 22 - Ekran 14 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 37,333 km (23,197 mi). Apogee: 37,457 km (23,274 mi). Inclination: 12.70 deg. Period: 1,519.00 min.

  Stationed at 99 deg E. Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1985-1987 As of 5 September 2001 located at 178.66 deg E drifting at 19.729 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 122.42E drifting at 19.716W degrees per day.

• 1986 May 24 - Ekran 15 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 36,824 km (22,881 mi). Apogee: 36,905 km (22,931 mi). Inclination: 11.60 deg. Period: 1,491.50 min.

  Stationed at 99 deg E. Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1986-1988 As of 5 September 2001 located at 80.69 deg W drifting at 13.420 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 63.41W drifting at 13.419W degrees per day.

• 1987 September 3 - Ekran 16 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 36,871 km (22,910 mi). Apogee: 36,895 km (22,925 mi). Inclination: 5.10 deg. Period: 1,492.50 min.

  Stationed at 99 deg E. Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1987-1989 As of 31 August 2001 located at 146.34 deg W drifting at 13.641 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 69.25E drifting at 13.645W degrees per day.

• 1988 May 6 - Ekran 18 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,970 kg (4,340 lb). Perigee: 37,236 km (23,137 mi). Apogee: 37,337 km (23,200 mi). Inclination: 4.50 deg. Period: 1,513.40 min.

  Stationed at 99 deg E. Transmission of Central Television programmes to a network of receivers for collective use. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1988-1990 As of 2 September 2001 located at 7.21 deg E drifting at 18.450 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 80.93W drifting at 18.443W degrees per day.

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• Siddiqi, Asif A, The Soviet Space Race With Apollo, University Press of Florida, 2003. ISBN: 0813026288. The definitive history of the Soviet manned space program in the 1960's to the early 1970's. Originally published as the the latter part of 'Challenge to Apollo' by NASA in 2000 as NASA SP-2000-4408. More at amazon.com...