The satellite will be positioned at 99°E, replacing Ekran M-20, which was launched in 1992, and has operated long beyond its design life. The satellite has a launch mass of 2100 kg (4628 lbm). This flight marks the last flight of the Ekran M satellite bus - the spacecraft carries only a single TV-relay channel, which is small compared to modern communications satellites equipped with dozens of transponders. One more Ekran M spacecraft remains in inventory, but will likely be placed in a museum - there are no plans to launch it because its storage life has expired.