Russia will also
complete creating the orbital military communications grouping that will
consist of four Blagovest satellites, according to Defense Minister Sergei
Shoigu.
MOSCOW, May 31.
/TASS/. Russia will launch two Meridian-M military communications satellites in
2019, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday.
"Before the end
of the year, two upgraded Meridian-M-series communications satellites will be
launched," Shoigu said at the ministry’s board meeting.
Russia will also
complete creating the orbital military communications grouping that will
consist of four Blagovest satellites, the defense minister said.
"This will
provide a possibility to expand the areas of satellite communication
accessibility on the territory of Russia and outside it, including in the
Arctic," the defense minister said.
Blagovest satellites
The first Blagovest
military satellite, the Kosmos-2520, was launched from the Baikonur spaceport
on August 17, 2017. The second satellite of this series, the Kosmos-2526, was
launched on April 19, 2018 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Initially, its liftoff
was planned for December 25, 2017 but was rescheduled due to problems with an
onboard device.
The third Blagovest
satellite was launched in December 2018 and the fourth will be delivered into
orbit in mid-July.
Russia’s Defense
Ministry plans to deploy a grouping of four Blagovest satellites by 2020. These
satellites are designed to provide high-speed access to the Internet, transmit
data and offer telephone and video conference communications using the advanced
Ka-and Ku-band frequencies.
Meridian-M satellites
Russia’s Reshetnev
Information Satellite Systems Company received an order in 2017 for
manufacturing four Meridian-M military satellites (the modernized version of
Meridian space vehicles).
Reshetnev CEO Nikolai
Testoyedov earlier told TASS that the company was planning to produce the first
Meridian-M satellite at the end of 2018, the second in 2019, the third in 2020
and the fourth in 2022. The time was chosen to ensure the planned replacement
of existing Meridian satellites, he said.
The Meridians are
second-generation communications satellites that replaced Molniya and Raduga
space vehicles. The active service life of operational satellites is seven
years.
Source: ITAR-TASS 01-06-2019
