Roscosmos' Angara-1.2 to put 3 Gonets-M satellites into orbit in 2021 - SPARK
MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax) - Roscosmos will buy an Angara-1.2 launch vehicle for around 2 billion rubles in order to put three Gonets satellites into orbit in 2021.
According to SPARK Marketing, the state corporation will invest 2,027,800,000 rubles in the new rocket, which will propel Gonets-M33, M34, and M35 satellites into orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in 2021.
Prior to this will be two launches of Gonets trios by Soyuz-2.1b rockets, which cost 1.345 billion rubles each. The Angara LV will cost almost 700 million rubles more.
Gonets-M personal communication satellites were designed by Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems for communication and data transfer, including email services. Messages are registered and restored in the satellite's memory before being delivered to users. The satellites also provide telephone and fax services to users within the radio visibility zone and send information on the location of user terminals using GPS/GLONASS. Gonets-M satellites are additionally used for environmental and scientific monitoring.
Angara is a family of eco-friendly launch vehicles comprising Angara-1.2 light vehicles, Angara-A3 medium vehicles, Angara-A5 heavy vehicles (A5M modernized modification), and Angara-A5V super-heavy vehicles with oxygen-hydrogen booster units.
Angara vehicles are built on the basis of the universal oxygen-kerosene rocket module made by the Khrunichev Center. The module consists of oxidizer and fuel tanks and an engine compartment. The number of modules used in the rocket's first stage determines its carrying capacity.