Tsiklon Launches Six Russian Communication Satellites

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Tsiklon Launches Six Russian Communication Satellites

More Information:

A Tsiklon 3 successfully launched 6 Russian communication satellites from Pletesk Cosmodrome, pad LC32, at 0324 UTC on December 28. Three of the satellites, Kosmos 2384, 2385 and 2386 are military Strela-3 spacecraft, while the other 3 Gonets D1 spacecraft are for Rosaviakosmos. The Gonets satellites were launched into a 1400 km (756 nmi) orbit, inclined at 82.6 degrees, while the Kosmos/Strela satellites were placed into a 1415 km (764 nmi) orbit, also inclined at 82.6 degrees.

The Gonets D1 satellites will join the six operating "store and forward" communication satellites. The nine Gonets satellites will stay in orbit until 2004, servicing thousands of subscribers.

The cylindrical 225 kg (496 lbm) spacecraft are 0.8 m (31.5 in) in diameter and 1.6 m (63 in) long, and are covered with solar cells. They have an extended boom for gravity stabilization and a cone antenna. AKO Polyot builds the satellites for NPO PM. The Gonets D1 bus is a derivative of the Strela 3 bus, without the military transponders. The Gonets system is sometimes referred to as the Courier system in western sources, though Gonets translates from Russian into English as messenger, Strela translates as arrow.

This is most likely the last launch of 2001. There were 57 successful launches out of 59 launch attempts during 2001. A Taurus launch attempt in September failed to reach orbit, and an Ariane 5 launch in July stranded two satellites in the wrong orbit, though the Artemis satellite, using its own propulsion did reach its planned GEO orbit, though with a reduced life. The year 1963 was the last year with fewer launches, when there were 55 launches out of 70 launch attempts.

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December 28, 2001