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.