Gonets

Gonets
Manufacturer NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki
Country of origin Russia
Operator RKA (Until 1996)
Gonets SatCom (1996-Present)
Applications Communication
Specifications
Design life 5 years
Launch mass 233 to 280 kilograms (514 to 617 lb)
Power 40 Watts from solar panels
Batteries Nickel/Hydrogen
Equipment UHF transponders[1]
(NATO B/D band)
Data rate up to 64kb/s
Regime Low Earth
Production
Status Active
Related spacecraft
Derived from Strela

Gonets (Russian Гонец, Messenger) is a Russian civilian low Earth orbit communication satellite system. It consists of a number of satellites, derived from Strela military communication satellites. The first two satellites, which were used to test and validate the system, were launched by a Tsyklon-3 carrier rocket 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, will supplement and eventually replace the satellites which are currently in orbit. A single first D1M satellite was launched by a Kosmos-3M rocket on 21 December 2005.[4] A second D1M satellite was launched by a Rokot carrier rocket on 8 September 2010.[4]

Gonets was originally a Russian Federal Space Agency programme, however in 1996 it was privatised, and it is now organised by Gonets SatCom,[5] which is controlled by ISS Reshetnev.[6]

On 2016, the system consists of 13 satellites (12 Gonets-M and 1 Gonets-D1). On March 2015, the Rokot carrier rocket, launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, successfully put three Gonets-M communications satellites into the final orbit.[7]

User characteristics

Currently, the Gonets orbit group comprises 12 2-nd generation space crafts (SC) “Gonets-M” and 1 1-st generation SC “Gonets-D1”. The orbit group performs the task of direct communication with subscribers at any point of the globe. With such a number of SC in the Gonets orbit group, the system provides communication with waiting time characteristics as indicates the table.

City,location lat.(deg.) Session probability=0,9 WT, min Session probability=0,8 WT, min Session probability=0,7 WT, min
Meru, Kenya 25.04 19.98 13.54
Fuli, Vietnam / Vitoria, Brazil 20° / -20° 19.47 14.97 8.85
Yerevan, Armenia / Wellington, New Zealand 40° / -40° 17.79 12.04 6.08
Belgorod, Russia / Isla Duque de York, Chile 50° / -50° 15.00 8.19 2.17
Vyborg, Russia / Orcadas Antarctic Station 60° / -60° 5.64 1.78 0.00
Kara Gate Straight, Barencts Sea / Novolazarevskaya Station, Antarctic 70° / -70° 3.45 0.00 0.00
Gall Island, North Arctic Ocean / Antarctic Kunlun Station 80° / -80° 0.00 0.00 0.00
North Pole / Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station 90° / -90° 0.00 0.00 0.00

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

External links

References

  1. "GONETS". Small Satellites Home Page. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  2. 1 2 Wade, Mark. "Strela". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  3. 1 2 Krebs, Gunter. "Gonets". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
  4. 1 2 Krebs, Gunter. "Gonets-M". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
  5. "Leosat system "Gonets"". Gonets SatCom. Archived from the original on 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  6. "Investors - GONETS Leosat system". gonets.ru. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  7. "Russia completes its Gonets orbital group.". Retrieved 2015-03-31.
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