Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat-M | Meridian-M No.18
Russian Space Forces43/4 (43R) — Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
mission
- Name
- Meridian-M No.18
- Type
- Communications
- Target orbit
- Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
The Meridian series of communications satellites is reported to be the replacement for all the Molniya-1T, the Molniya-3 and Molniya-3K satellite series and possibly also for the communication component of the Parus. They are launched into highly eccentric Molniya-orbits. Meridian is the highly eccentric orbit (HEO) component of the Integrated Satellite Communications System (ISSS), where they work in conjunction with the geostationary Raduga-1M (Globus-M) satellites. The bus structure is reportedly pressurized, possibly based on the Uragan-M bus. Meridian satellites carry three transponders operating in different frequency bands.
schedule
- NET (no earlier than)
- Window opens
- Window closes
- Last updated
vehicle & provider
- Rocket
- Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M
- Family
- Soyuz
- Variant
- Fregat-M
- Provider
- Russian Space Forces
- Type
- Government
- Country
- RUS
webcasts
launch site
- Pad
- 43/4 (43R)
- Location
- Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
- Country
- RUS
- Timezone
- Europe/Moscow
- Coordinates
- 62.9288, 40.4571
infographic
