Gonets-D1 prog

Gonets-1 - - Credit: ESA.

Commercial version of GRU Strela-3 military store-dump satellite. Gonets-D1 will be deployed in a constellation of 12 satellites (2 planes of 6) between 1996 and 1998. Each satellite has a single simultaneous earth-space and space-earth channel. On-board storage is 12 Mbits of data, with a transmission rate of 2.4 kbit/sec. Two preproduction test spacecraft of slightly different configuration called 'Gonets-D' were flown. Planned stage 2 of civilian store-dump communications satellite system will be deployed in a constellation of 45 satellites (5 planes of 9) between 1999 and 2002. Each satellite will have a capacity of 15 earth-space and 3 space-earth channels. On-board storage is 8 Mbytes of data, with a transmission rate of 1.2 to 64 kbit/sec.
Russian LEO telecommunication system, designed from the reconvertion of military technology. The system should be composed of 36 satellites on 6 orbital planes. The project was launched in 1992. The satellites are probably less than 300 kg.

The system should use the GPS and GLONASS positioning systems for geolocation services. Gonets will operate in the 300-400 MHz range VHF/UHF band and the 1.5/1.6 GHz band. Uplinks will be from 312-315 MHz and 1624.5-1643.4 MHz, and downlinks from 387-390 MHz and 1541.0-1541.9 MHz.

The system is derived from the Strela-3 military series. The Gonets-D crafts were most probably test satellites.

Satellites are built by NPO PM.

Launch list: