Ekspress-80 (russian: Экспресс-80 meaning ''Express-80'') is a Russian
communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...
which was launched in 2020. Part of the
Ekspress series of
geostationary
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitude ...
communications satellites, it is owned and operated by the
RSCC Space Communications.
Satellite description
Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacture ...
, constructed Ekspress-80 payload, and
ISS Reshetnev
JSC Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev (russian: Информационные спутниковые системы имени академика М. Ф. Решетнёва, Informatsionnye sputnikovye systemy imeny akademika M. F. Reshetnyov ...
constructed the
satellite bus
A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held.
Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus-d ...
which was based on the
Ekspress-1000N. The satellite has a mass of , provides 6.3 kilowatts to its payload, and a planned operational lifespan of 15 years. The satellite carried 38
transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
: 16 operating in the
C-band of the electromagnetic spectrum, 20 in the
Ku-band and 2 in the
L-band
The L band is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) designation for the range of frequencies in the radio spectrum from 1 to 2 gigahertz (GHz). This is at the top end of the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, at the lower en ...
.
Mission
The satellite is designed to provide
TV and
radio broadcasting
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
services,
data transmission
Data transmission and data reception or, more broadly, data communication or digital communications is the transfer and reception of data in the form of a digital bitstream or a digitized analog signal transmitted over a point-to-point o ...
,
multimedia
Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradition ...
services,
telephony
Telephony ( ) is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunication services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties. The history of telephony is i ...
, and
mobile communications
Mobile telephony is the provision of telephone services to phones which may move around freely rather than stay fixed in one location. Telephony is supposed to specifically point to a voice-only service or connection, though sometimes the l ...
.
Launch
Ekspress-80 was originally to be launched in 2018, but was delayed to 2020. It used a
Proton-M /
Briz-M launch vehicle
A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...
to be placed in a
supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit (16,593 km x 54,812 km x 0.62°), as was
Ekspress-103 (16,581 km x 5,4811 km x 0.64°).
Mission
Roscosmos announced on 9 September 2020, that the Ekspress-80 satellite was damaged during its transfer to geostationary orbit, probably by space debris. However, the continuation of the transfer operations was not threatened. The satellite entered in service at orbital position 80° East on 15 March 2021.
See also
*
2020 in spaceflight
This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2020.
Overview Exploration of the Solar System
Three missions to Mars were launched in 2020, including two rovers, two orbiters, and a lander. NASA has launched the Mars ...
References
{{Orbital launches in 2020
Ekspress satellites
Spacecraft launched in 2020
Satellites using the Ekspress bus
2020 in Russia