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Ekspress-MD1
Names	Экспресс-МД1; Express-MD1
Mission type	Communications
Operator	Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC)
COSPAR ID	2009-007B
SATCAT no.	33596
Website	https://eng.rscc.ru/
Mission duration	10 years (planned); 4.3 years (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Ekspress-MD1
Spacecraft type	Ekspress-MD
Bus	Yakhta modified
Manufacturer	Khrunichev (bus); Alcatel Alenia Space (payload)
Launch mass	1,140 kg (2,510 lb)
Power	1300 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	11 February 2009, 00:03:00 UTC
Rocket	Proton-M / Briz-M
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 200/39
Contractor	Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Entered service	12 May 2009
End of mission
Disposal	Failed on orbit
Last contact	4 July 2013
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Longitude	80° East
Transponders
Band	8 × 40 Mhz C-band; 1 × 1 MHz L-band
Bandwidth	321 MHz
Coverage area	Russia, CIS
	Ekspress constellation ← Ekspress-AM44 Ekspress-AM4 →

Ekspress-MD1 (Russian: Экспресс-МД1), was a Russian geostationary communications satellite operated by Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) and designed and manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center on the Yakhta satellite bus for RSCC's Ekspress series. It massed 1,140 kg (2,510 lb) at launch, had a power production capacity of 1300 watts with a C-band and L-band payload.^[4]^[1]

It was successfully launched along Ekspress-AM4 aboard a Proton-M / Briz-M from Baikonur on 11 February 2009.^[5] It was commissioned in the 80° East orbital position. The satellite failed on 4 July 2013, well short of its design life, for which RSCC collected the insurance.^[1]^[6]

Satellite description

Ekspress-MD1 was a geostationary communications satellite developed by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center on the Yakhta setellite bus. It is a small, three axis stabilized, satellite bus designed for direct geostationary orbit and as such it lacked an apogee kick motor. It was designed to support a bigger, heavier satellite on top of it and serve as its rocket adapter. For its companion, Ekspress-AM4, it was specially reinforced to carry the 2,560 kg (5,640 lb) on top.^[4]

The satellite weighted 1,140 kg (2,510 lb) at launch, had a power production capacity of 1300 watts with a design life of 10 years.^[4]^[1] Its payload was made by Thales Alenia Space and was composed of 8 × 40 MHz C-band and 1 × 1 MHz L-band transponders, for a total satellite bandwidth of 321 MHz for mass of 225 kg (496 lb).^[4]^[3] It was designed to provide mobile presidential and governmental communications, digital TV and Radio broadcasting services, Internet access, data transfer, video conferencing in Russia and CIS countries from the 80° East orbital position.^[1]^[4]

Ekspress-MD1 was heavily based on the KazSat-1. While smaller than the other satellites of the Ekspress constellation, it enabled RSCC to have a second local supplier after its traditional contractor ISS Reshetnev. The structure was designed around a cylindrical structure that enabled stacking of another satellite on top of the Ekspress-MD1 and acted as an adaptor to the Briz-M stage for both spacecraft.^[7]

While successfully commissioned, it failed to reach even half of its design life.^[1] It had a twin satellite, Ekspress-MD2 which failed to reach orbit.^[7] As of 2016, RSCC has not ordered any further satellite from Khrunichev, relying instead on foreign suppliers like Airbus Defence and Space.^[5]

History

Within the Russian Federal Space Program for 2006–2015, Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) awarded on 2006 a contract for two satellites, Ekspress-MD1 and Ekspress-MD2 to Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.^[2]^[3] It also signed a separate contract with Alcatel Alenia Space for the supply of the payloads. The twin spacecraft would be based on the Yakhta satellite bus and the lessons from the KazSat-1 satellite.^[2]

In April 2007, RSCC Acting Director General Yuri Izmailov stated that Ekspress-MD1 and Ekspress-AM4 were the company to priority and would launch by December 2007.^[8] In an 29 April 2008 interview, Mr Izmailov stated that the Ekspress-MD1 was expected to fly in 2008.^[9]

On 10 September 2008, Khrunichev stated that the satellite production was in full swing. The solutions from the lessons learned from the anomalies of KazSat-1 and Monitor-E had been implemented. And the satellite had gone through electrical testing and was going into acceptance testing.^[10]

On 26 January 2009, the assembly of the integration of the spacecraft with Ekspress-AM4 and the Briz-M stage was started at the Baikonur launch site.^[11] On 6 February 2009, the Proton-M/Briz-M stack was certified for roll out to the Site 200/39 launch pad.^[12] On 11 February 2009, at 00:03:00 UTC, the rocket successfully launched both spacecraft directly to geostationary orbit.^[3] On 12 May 2009, Ekspress-MD1 was successfully commissioned into service in the Ekspress constellation.^[13] On the same year, the satellite was used for the first distribution of the multiplex programs compulsory under the Federal Target Program Development of TV and Radio broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009–2015.^[14]

On 4 July 2013, Ekspress-MD1 failed on orbit. At just 4 years, 4 months, 23 days, it failed to achieve even half of its design life.^[1] In February 2014, RSCC was able to collect the 857 million rubles insurance payment on the failed satellite.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Ekspress-MD1". Satbeams. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Krebs, Gunter (11 December 2017). "Ekspress-MD1, -MD2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Proton Successfully Delivers Two New Russian Express-series Satellites into Orbit". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. 11 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Космический аппарат "Экспресс-МД-1"" [Spacecraft "Express MD-1"] (in Russian). Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ ^a ^b Pillet, Nicolas. "Ekspress Liste des satellites" [List of Ekspress satellites] (in French). Kosmonavtika. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
^ ^a ^b "RSCC to receive insurance compensation for loss of Express-MD1 small satellite". Russian Satellite Communications Company. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ ^a ^b Zak, Anatoly (16 March 2014). "Ekspress-MD communication satellite". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
^ "On April 4–5 the 12th annual conference of operators and users of the Russian Federation satellite telecommunications network took place in Dubna". Russian Satellite Communications Company. 17 April 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ "Interview with Yuri Izmaylov, Director General and CEO, RSCC". Russian Satellite Communications Company. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ "Work on Express-MD1 in Full Swing". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. 10 September 2008. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ "Assembly of Proton Breeze M Space Head Unit Begins". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. 26 January 2009. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ "Proton Certified Ready for Rollout to Its Launch Pad". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ "Express-MD1 Satellite Put Into Operation within RSCC's Constellation". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
^ "First multiplex program distribution to Siberia and the Far East started by RSCC". Russian Satellite Communications Company. 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2016.