 | YeSSS Unified Satell Credit - NASA
| Article Number: 11F638. Code Name: Gran. Class: Communications. Type: Military. Destination: Geosynchronous Orbit. Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Manufacturer: Reshetnev. First Soviet geosynchronous communications satellite. A single orbital group of two Radugas could handle all communications of the Soviet eastern regions. Development of the first Soviet geosynchronous satellites began at the end of the 1960's. New operations and communications methods were required. In July 1974 a Proton DM put a Molniya-1 into geosynchronous orbit as a test. This proved methods for the specialized Raduga satellites that were to be stationed at 35 deg and 85 deg E. Construction of the first Raduga was completed in 1975. It was equipped with 2 x 3 barreled transponders. The Delta 1 transponder (V I Moguchev, Chief Designer) was for dedicated military communications, while the Delta 2 (M V Brodskiy) was used for national and international civilian communications. Internationally designated Statsionar-1, Raduga represented the first use of the new universal spacecraft bus KAUR-3. The KAUR-3 spacecraft bus was 3-axis stabilized using liquid propellant micro-engines to within 0.25 degrees of the earth's centre. The single-unit body was equipped with solar panels, and 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. The Raduga constellation expanded by 1994 to 12 spacecraft distributed among 9 locations for global coverage. In addition to the six standard 6/4 GHz transponders, Raduga spacecraft could host Gals (8/7 GHz), Luch (14/11 GHz), and Volna (1.6/1.5 GHz) transponders.
Flight trials of Molniya-3 and Raduga continued until 1978, after which they were accepted into military service. The State Trials Commission was headed by A A Maksimov, succeeded by General N F Shlykov.
After the fall of the Soviet Union a price of $ 100 million was quoted for satellite and launch. Typical orbit: 35395 km circular orbit, 7.7 deg inclination. Mass: 1,954 kg (4,307 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / Briz-M. Raduga Chronology
- 1975 December 22 - Raduga 1 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,940 kg (4,270 lb). Perigee: 35,758 km (22,218 mi). Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). Inclination: 13.30 deg. Period: 1,435.90 min.
Statsionar-1. Provision of uninterrupted round-the-clock telephone and telegraph radio-communications system in the USSR, transmission of USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita network and international cooperation. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 85 deg E in 1975-1978? As of 27 August 2001 located at 70.55 deg E drifting at 0.084 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 85.79E drifting at 0.009E degrees per day.
- 1980 October 5 - Raduga 7 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,940 kg (4,270 lb). Perigee: 35,755 km (22,217 mi). Apogee: 35,805 km (22,248 mi). Inclination: 14.00 deg. Period: 1,435.80 min.
Radio, telegraph, TV. Provision of uninterrupted round the clock telephone and telegraph radiocommunication in the USSR and simultaneous transmission of colour and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita network. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 85 deg E in 1980-1981; 25 deg W in 1982-1986 As of 30 August 2001 located at 103.91 deg W drifting at 0.397 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 3 located at 30.06W drifting at 0.092W degrees per day.
- 1982 December 24 - Raduga s/n 22L - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. FAILURE: Stage 1 - vehicle failed at launch. Mass: 1,940 kg (4,270 lb).
- 1986 October 25 - Raduga 19 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Mass: 1,965 kg (4,332 lb). Perigee: 36,252 km (22,525 mi). Apogee: 36,353 km (22,588 mi). Inclination: 5.10 deg. Period: 1,462.60 min.
Stationed at 36 deg E. Provision of telephone and telegraph radiocommunications and television broadcasting. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 45 deg E in 1986-1991; 34 deg E in 1991-1993. Raduga 19 performed an end-of-life maneuver in September, 1993. As of 28 August 2001 located at 160.57 deg E drifting at 6.520 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 57.63W drifting at 6.529W degrees per day.
- 1990 December 20 - Raduga 26 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Mass: 1,965 kg (4,332 lb). Perigee: 35,778 km (22,231 mi). Apogee: 35,823 km (22,259 mi). Inclination: 7.00 deg. Period: 1,436.80 min.
Stationed at 85 deg E. Radio telephone and telegraph communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 85 deg E in 1991-1993. Raduga 26 then began a series of small maneuvers coincident with the launch of Raduga 30, and was placed in a graveyard orbit. As of 1 September 2001 located at 93.34 deg E drifting at 0.101 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 52.76E drifting at 0.024W degrees per day.
- 1993 September 30 - Raduga 30 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Mass: 1,965 kg (4,332 lb). Perigee: 35,762 km (22,221 mi). Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Inclination: 5.10 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min.
Stationed at 83 deg E, replacing Raduga-26. Operation of telephone and telegraph radio communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 85 deg E in 1993-1999 As of 6 September 2001 located at 86.23 deg E drifting at 0.009 deg W per day. Raduga 30 followed on 30 September 1993 and was transferred to 85 degrees E. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 74.18E drifting at 0.046E degrees per day.
Bibliography and Further Reading
- 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...
- Melnik, T G, Voenno-Kosmicheskiy Siliy, Nauka, Moscow, 1997.. Two-volume official history of the (now defunct) Russin space forces.
- Vladimirov, A, Novosti kosmonavtiki, "Tablitsa zapuskov RN 'Proton' i 'Proton K'", 1998, Issue 10, page 25.
- Kaesmann, Ferdinand, et. al., Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, "Proton - Development of A Russian Launch Vehicle", 1998, Volume 51, page 3.
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
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