Ekspress (satellite bus)

The Ekspress (Russian: Экспресс) is a highly flexible satellite bus designed and manufactured by ISS Reshetnev.[1][2] It is an unpressurized bus originally designed for GEO, but that has been adapted for medium Earth orbit and to highly elliptical orbit. It has different versions and has been used from civilian communications to satellite navigation.[3][4][5][6]

Platform variations

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The Ekspress bus has two main platforms: the 1000 light to medium version and the 2000, for heavy satellites.[7] There was a project for a third platform, the 4000, but it has not yet been used.[8][3]

Ekspress-1000 Series

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The Ekspress-1000 (Russian: Экспресс-1000) in its different variations offers an platform for small to medium satellites. It is a direct to GEO bus for total spacecraft weights from 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb) to 2,200 kilograms (4,900 lb) and having a power production from 3 kW to 8 kW with a life expectancy of 15 years.[1] It is designed for directly stacking up to 3 of the smallest version (Ekspress-1000K) or 2 of the bigger ones.[7]

  • Ekspress-1000K (Russian: Экспресс-1000K): The smallest platform. It is designed for spacecraft up to 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb), with space for 250 kilograms (550 lb) of payload and up to 3 kW of power generation and 1.8 kW of heat dissipation. It can be stacked up to three Ekspress-1000K.[7][9]
  • Ekspress-1000H (Russian: Экспресс-1000Н): The middle platform. It is designed for spacecraft up to 1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb), with space for 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of payload and up to 5.6 kW of power generation and 3.5 kW of heat dissipation. It can be dual stacked with Ekspress-1000K or Ekspress-1000H.[7][9]
  • Ekspress-1000SH (Russian: Экспресс-1000SH): The biggest platform. It is designed for spacecraft up to 2,200 kilograms (4,900 lb), with space for 700 kilograms (1,500 lb) of payload and up to 8 kW of power generation and 5 kW of heat dissipation. It can be dual stacked with an Ekspress-1000K.[7][9]
  • Ekspress-1000HT (Russian: Экспресс-1000НТ): Evolution of the SH platform.[7]
  • Ekspress-1000HTA (Russian: Экспресс-1000НТА): Evolution of the HT platform.[7]
  • Ekspress-1000HTV (Russian: Экспресс 1000НТВ): Evolution of the HTA platform.[7]

Ekspress-2000 Series

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The Ekspress-2000 (Russian: Экспресс-2000) is the fruits of the collaboration with Thales Alenia Space and their Spacebus 4000 experience with the Ekspress-1000H.[4][9] It is a big platform for spacecraft massing up to 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb), with space for 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of payload and up to 14 kW of power generation and 7.5 kW of heat dissipation. It is, as the rest of the family, a direct to GEO bus and given its size it is not designed to be stacked. It has an expected design life of 15 years.[7][2]

Ekspress-4000 Series

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The Ekspress-4000 (Russian: Экспресс-4000) is a collaboration with Thales Alenia Space to mix the best elements of the Ekspress-2000 with the Spacebus 4000.[9] It would be a direct to GEO platform for spacecraft massing up to 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) and having a power production of 14 kW with a life expectancy of 15 years. This would enable more than 60 transponders of payload.[8]

It would lack any orbit raising propulsion, but would keep the electric propulsion thrusters (SPT-100) supplied by OKB Fakel for station keeping. It would also use the Russian solar panels and have versions designed for highly elliptical orbit like Molniya orbit so important for the northerner regions of Russia.[8]

During 2009, the plan was to start with a series of satellites in HEO orbits for the Russian government, called Ekspress-RV Экспресс-РВ). It would be a constellation of three on orbit spacecraft with a fourth backup on Earth, but no further development have been communicated. Nor any of the expected foreign sales were closed.[8]

List of satellites

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The Ekspress bus has seen many successes, both for the commercial market and the military programs. Here is a list of all known orders as of July 2016.

Satellite Bus Payload Order Launch Launch Vehicle Intended Orbit Launch Result Launch Weight Status Remarks
Kosmos 2471 (Uragan-K1 #1, 11L) Ekspress-1000K 2011-02-26 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Success 962 kg (2,121 lb) First launch of third generation GLONASS.
Luch 5A Ekspress-1000A 2011-12-11 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 1,148 kg (2,531 lb) Launched along AMOS-5.
AMOS-5 Ekspress-1000H 2008 2011-12-11 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 1,972 kg (4,348 lb) Launched along Luch 5A.
Telkom-3 Ekspress-1000H 2009 2012-08-06 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Failure 1,903 kg (4,195 lb) Stranded in unusable orbit.[10]
Luch 5B Ekspress-1000AM 2012-11-02 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 1,350 kg (2,980 lb) Launched along Yamal-300K.
Yamal-300K Ekspress-1000HTA 2009 2012-11-02 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 1,870 kg (4,120 lb) Launched along Luch 5B.
Ekspress AM5 Ekspress-2000 2009 2013-12-26 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 3,358 kg (7,403 lb)
Ekspress AT1 Ekspress-1000H 2010 2014-03-15 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 1,672 kg (3,686 lb) Launched along Ekspress AT2.
Ekspress AT2 Ekspress-1000K 2010 2014-03-15 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 1,326 kg (2,923 lb) Launched along Ekspress AT1.
Luch 5V Ekspress-1000A 2014-04-28 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success Launched along KazSat-3.
KazSat-3 Ekspress-1000HTA 2011 2014-04-28 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success Launched along Luch 5V.
Luch/Olimp-K 1 Unknown 2014-09-27 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)
Ekspress AM6 (Eutelsat 53A) Ekspress-2000 2009 2014-10-21 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Partial failure 3,358 kg (7,403 lb) Reached its destination using its own propulsion.[11]
Kosmos 2501 (Uragan-K1 #2, 12L) Ekspress-1000K 2014-11-30 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Success 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Yamal-401 Ekspress-2000 2010 2014-12-15 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Success 2,976 kg (6,561 lb)
Ekspress AM8 Ekspress-1000HTB 2010 2015-09-14 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 GEO Success
Blagovest 1 (11L) Ekspress-2000 2011 2017-08-16 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Planned: 2016
Blagovest 2 (12L) Ekspress-2000 2018-04-18 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO
Blagovest 3 (13L) Ekspress-2000 2018-12-21 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO
Blagovest 4 (14L) Ekspress-2000 2018-09-05 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO
Kosmos 2569 (Uragan-K2 #1, 11L) Ekspress-1000A 2023-09-07 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO planned: 2017 1,645 kg (3,627 lb)
Yamal-601 Ekspress-2000 2015 2019-05-30 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Planned: 2018
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #3, 13L) Ekspress-1000A Planned: 2018 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2018 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Ekspress 80 Ekspress-1000H 2016 2020-07-30 Proton-M / Briz-M GEO Success [12]
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #4, 14L) Ekspress-1000A Planned: 2018 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2018 962 kilograms (2,121 lb)
Ekspress 103 Ekspress-1000H 2016 2020-07-30 Proton-M / Briz-M GEO Success [13]
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #5, 15L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2018 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2018 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K2 #2, 12L) Ekspress-1000A Planned: 2018 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2018 1,645 kg (3,627 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #6, 16L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2018 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 MEO Planned: 2018 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #7, 17L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2018 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 MEO Planned: 2018 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #8, 18L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2018 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 MEO Planned: 2018 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Yenisey A1 (ex Luch 4) Ekspress-2000 Planned: 2019 Proton-M/Briz-M GEO Planned: 2019
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #9, 19L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2019 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 MEO Planned: 2019 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #10, 20L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2019 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 MEO Planned: 2019 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #11, 21L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2019 Proton-M/Blok DM-03 MEO Planned: 2019 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K2 #3, 13L) Ekspress-1000A Planned: 2019 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2019 1,645 kg (3,627 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #12, 22L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2019 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2019 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Kosmos 2xxx (Uragan-K1 #13, 23L) Ekspress-1000K Planned: 2020 Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat-M MEO Planned: 2020 962 kg (2,121 lb)
Lybid 1 Ekspress-1000T 2010 Planned: 201x Zenit-3F GEO Planned: 201x 1,845 kg (4,068 lb) Satellite us built and in storage. Future uncertain due to the Russo-Ukrainian war.[14]
Armenian ComSat Ekspress-1000H 2012 Cancelled Cancelled
Zohreh 1 Ekspress-1000K 2005 Cancelled Cancelled Program cancelled.[15]
Zohreh 2 Ekspress-1000K 2005 Cancelled Cancelled Program cancelled.[15]
AOneSat 1 Ekspress-1000H 2013 2016 Cancelled Cancelled Satellite cancelled.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter Dirk (13 March 2016). "ISS Reshetnev: Ekspress-1000". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter Dirk (13 March 2016). "ISS Reshetnev: Ekspress-2000". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b Zak, Anatoly (16 March 2014). "Ekspress-1000N communication satellite platform". Russian Space Web. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b Zak, Anatoly (26 October 2014). "Ekspress-2000 satellite platform". Russian Space Web. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  5. ^ Zak, Anatoly (14 July 2016). "GLONASS-K2 satellite". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  6. ^ Zak, Anatoly (29 September 2015). "GLONASS-K". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Seyvald, Sergey (22–23 April 2010). JSC ISS Corporate Presentation (PDF). Spain-ISTC/STCU Cooperation.
  8. ^ a b c d Matveeva, Elena (2008). ""Экспресс-4000" −росси йско -европейска я спутникова я платформа" [Express-4000 A Russian-European Satellite Platform] (PDF). ISS Reshetnev Journal (in Russian) (5). ISS Reshetnev: 8–9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e "General-purpose platforms for new-day satellites" (PDF). ISS Reshetnev Journal (8). ISS Reshetnev: 8–9. 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  10. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "Telkom 3". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  11. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "Ekspress-AM 6 (Eutelsat 53A)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  12. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "Ekspress 80". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  13. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "Ekspress 103". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  14. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "Lybid 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  15. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "Zohreh 1, 2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  16. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk (17 April 2016). "AOneSat 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
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