Ekspress A3
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Ekspress-A3 (russian: Экспрeсс-А3 meaning Express-A3), also designated Ekspress-3A, 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 is operated by Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) and
EUTELSAT Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it is the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Eutelsat's satellit ...
.


Satellite description

It was constructed by
NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki JSC Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev (russian: Информационные спутниковые системы имени академика М. Ф. Решетнёва, Informatsionnye sputnikovye systemy imeny akademika M. F. Reshetnyov ...
(ISS Reshetnev) and
Alcatel 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 ...
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-d ...
. It is equipped with seventeen
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 ...
.


Launch

The satellite was launched at Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 on 24 June 2000, at 00:28:00 UTC. The launch was made by
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center The Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (''Государственный космический научно-производственный центр (ГКНПЦ) имени М. В. Хру́ничева'' in Russian) is a ...
, and a Proton-K / 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 pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...
was used.


Mission

It is part of the Ekspress satellite constellation. Following its launch and on-orbit testing, it was placed in
geostationary orbit 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 altitud ...
at 11° West, from where it provides communications services to Russia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.


References


External links

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