Russian civilian low Earth orbit communication satellite system
Gonets (Russian Гонец, for Messenger) is a Russian civilian low Earth orbit communications satellite system. It consists of a number of satellites, derived from Strela military communications satellites. The first two satellites, which were used to test and validate the system, were launched by a Tsyklon-3 launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 13 July 1992,[2] and were designated Gonets-D.[3] The first operational satellites, designated Gonets-D1, were launched on 19 February 1996.[3] After launch, the first three satellites were given military Kosmos designations, a practice which was not continued with the other satellites.[2]
Ten operational satellites and two demonstration spacecraft have been placed in orbit. A further three were lost in a launch failure on 27 December 2000. A new series of modernised Gonets satellites, Gonets-D1M, supplement and replace the satellites which are currently in orbit. A single first D1M satellite was launched by a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle on 21 December 2005.[4] A second Gonets-D1M satellite was launched by a Rokot launch vehicle on 8 September 2010.[4]
Operator
Gonets satellites are operated along with the third generation Luch satellites by Gonets Satellite System company. Gonets was originally a Roscosmos programme, but in 1996 it was privatised and operated by Gonets Satellite System,[5] which was controlled by ISS Reshetnev.[6] In 2017, Roscosmos acquired 80% of Gonets SatCom from ISS Reshetnev. The remaining 20% were held by Dauria Satcom.[7] By 2018, Dauria Satcom sold the shares to Business-Sfera of Coalco group while Roscosmos sold 29% to other private investors. Gonets SatCom has become a Russian space industry company with the largest (49%) share of private capital.[8]
User characteristics
As of 2016[update], the Gonets orbit group comprises 25 second-generation spacecraft "Gonets-M" and 1 first-generation "Gonets-D1". The orbital group performs the task of direct communication with subscribers at any point of the globe. With such a number of spacecraft in the Gonets orbit group, the system provides communication with waiting time characteristics as indicated in the following table. The next 3 Gonets-M satellites will be launched in 2022 by an Angara-1.2 launcher from the Plesetsk cosmodrome.[9]
waiting time characteristics[citation needed]
| City, location |
latitude |
Session probability = 0.9 Waiting time |
Session probability = 0.8 Waiting time |
Session probability = 0.7 Waiting time
|
| Meru, Kenya |
0° |
25.04 min |
19.98 min |
13.54 min
|
| Fuli, Vietnam / Vitoria, Brazil |
20° / −20° |
19.47 min |
14.97 min |
8.85 min
|
| Yerevan, Armenia / Wellington, New Zealand |
40° / −40° |
17.79 min |
12.04 min |
6.08 min
|
| Belgorod, Russia / Isla Duque de York, Chile |
50° / −50° |
15.00 min |
8.19 min |
2.17 min
|
| Vyborg, Russia / Orcadas Antarctic Station |
60° / −60° |
5.64 min |
1.78 min |
0.00 min
|
| Kara Gate Straight, Barents Sea / Novolazarevskaya Station, Antarctic |
70° / −70° |
3.45 min |
0.00 min |
0.00 min
|
| Gall Island, North Arctic Ocean / Antarctic Kunlun Station |
80° / −80° |
0.00 min |
0.00 min |
0.00 min
|
| North Pole / Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station |
90° / −90° |
0.00 min |
0.00 min |
0.00 min
|
Technical characteristics of subscriber terminals 0.3–0.4 GHz
| Transmitter power |
8–10 W
|
| Positioning accuracy by GPS/GLONASS |
up to 10 m
|
| Modulation |
GMSK
|
| Power supply |
AC 220 V, DC 12 V
|
| Weight |
100–300 g
|
| Bitrates: "Subscriber – Satellite" |
2.4–9.6 kbit/s
|
| Bitrates: "Satellite – Subscriber" |
9.6–76.8 kbit/s
|
See also
References
External links
