Ekspress-A2 (russian: Экспресс-A2 meaning Express-A2), also designated Ekspress-6A No 2 and sometimes erroneously called Ekspress-2A, 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 ...

which is operated by

Russian Satellite Communications Company Federal State Unitary Enterprise Satellite Communications (russian: ФГУП «Космическая связь») or Russian Satellite Communications Company is the main state operator of communications satellites. It is the Russian operator ...

(RSCC). It was constructed by NPO PM and Alcatel Space and is based on the MSS-2500-GSO

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- ...

Satellite

The launch was contracted by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, and used a

Proton-K The Proton-K, also designated Proton 8K82K after its GRAU index or SL-12 after its model number, 8K82K, was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 an ...

/ Blok DM-2M

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 pads, supported by a launch control center and ...

flying from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Launch

Ekspress-2A is a Russian geosynchronous communications spacecraft that was launched on 12 March 2000 from Baikonur by a

at 04:07:00 UTC. USSPACECOM had tentatively named it Express-6A. The spacecraft carries 12

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 tran ...

in C-band and five in

Ku-band The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally german: Kurz-unten), because it is the lower part of the ori ...

to provide voice, data, and video communications in Russia from the parked longitude of 80° east, supplementing the existing fleet of seven

Gorizont Gorizont (russian: Горизонт, ''Horizon''), GRAU index 11F662, is a series of 35 Russian, previously Soviet, geosynchronous communications satellites launched between 1978 and 2000. The programme was started in order to develop a satelli ...

, two

Ekspress Ekspress (russian: Экспресс meaning Express), is a series of geostationary communications satellites owned by Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC). The first satellite of this kind was launched on 13 October 1994. The satelli ...

and an EKRAN-M. Ekspress are scheduled to replace the aging

fleet.

Mission

It is part of the

network of satellites. Following its launch and on-orbit testing, it was placed in geostationary orbit at 103° East, from where it provides communications services to Russia. It is equipped with seventeen

. In October 2015, the satellite was retired and moved to a

graveyard orbit A graveyard orbit, also called a junk orbit or disposal orbit, is an orbit that lies away from common operational orbits. One significant graveyard orbit is a supersynchronous orbit well beyond geosynchronous orbit. Some satellites are moved into ...

above the geostationary orbit.

References

External links

* Ekspress satellites Spacecraft launched in 2000 Satellites using the KAUR bus {{Russia-spacecraft-stub