Elektro-L (Electro-L1?)

Spacecraft n°:

Russian spacecraft n°:

Launch data: Designation  37344 / 11001A Launch date  20 Jan 2011 - 12:29 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC-45/1 Launch vehicle  Zenit-3SLBF Application  Government: Meteorologie, Remote sensing Geostationary orbit on Jan 24.00: Perigee / Apogee  35288 x 35812 km Eccentricity  5,09E-03 Inclination  0.46 deg Period  1424.03 min

Description:

• The new Russian Elektro-L spacecraft, which is part of the Elektro geostationary weather system, is built by the Lavochkin Research and Production Association (Lavochkin NPO). Major objectives of the Elektro space system include:
  • regional and global weather forecasting;
  • coast and sea weather forecasting;
  • aviation weather forecasting;
  • studying helio-geophysical factors in the near-Earth space, the Earth’s ionosphere and magnetic field;
  • climate monitoring and climatic change;
  • disaster monitoring;
  • environmental monitoring.
• The Elektro-L spacecraft will collect and preprocess visible and infrared imagery with a resolution of 1 to 4 km and an imaging interval of 30 minutes. In case of a natural disaster, the imaging interval can be shortened to 10-15 minutes.
• The satellite will also obtain helio-geophysical data at the orbit’s altitude, relay and exchange weather information and receive and relay signals from autonomous weather platforms and KOSPAS-SARSAT emergency beacons.
• Elektro-L is designed compatible with international weather satellite systems, such as NASA’s GOES, Japan’s GMS and Europe’s METEOSAT.

Mission details:

• Satellite's position in GEO will yield real-time views of entire Earth disk -- wide swath of Asia, Middle East and Indian Ocean. Will also provide communciations for search-and-rescue services.
• The Electro-L satellite is Russia's second high-altitude weather observatory, coming after a troubled mission launched in 1994 that never achieved all of its goals The next-generation Electro-L program faced years of delays because of interruptions in funding. The Electro-L spacecraft will function for up to 10 years, collecting weather imagery several times per hour with visible and infrared cameras. The satellite's position in geosynchronous orbit will yield views the entire Earth disk, allowing its weather sensors to observe storm systems across a wide swath of Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. Electro-L 1 will be parked at 76 degrees east longitude, appearing fixed over a point in the Indian Ocean. The satellite will also study space weather phenomena and provide communications for search-and-rescue services. It carries nearly 1,000 pounds (454 kg) of scientific and communications equipment. The Electro-L project joins an international network of geosynchronous weather satellites, which includes missions led by the United States, Europe, Japan, China and India. Electro-L 1 is also named GOMS No. 2, short for Geostationary Operational Meteorological Satellite. It will replace the frist Elektro series, which were never brought to operational service.
• Russia's new Elektro-L weather satellite was launched on Jan 20, 2011 at 1229 UTC. The Zenit-3SLBF launch vehicle consists of a two-stage Zenit-2SB80 booster and the Fregat-SB upper stage, with an additional SBB (Sbrasivaemiye baki banov, separable propellant tanks) section compared to the original Fregat.
• The Zenit-2SB80 second stage reached a 179 x 620 km x 51.4 deg orbit; the Fregat upper stage separated as the second stage fired retrockets and jettisoned four separation motor covers into 190 x 850 km orbits. The first Fregat burn reached 298 x 4406 km x 50.4 deg, after which the SBB separated. At 1558 UTC the Fregat then made a burn to 356 x 35753 km x 48.5 deg geostationary transfer orbit. A third Fregat burn at 2119 UTC put the spacecraft in a 35627 x 35870 km x 0.46 deg geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean. Fregat then separated and was placed in a subsynchronous drift orbit of 34195 x 35718 km with a final burn.
• Elektro-L is the first use of the Lavochkin company's new Navigator bus, also to be used for future science satellites. The spacecraft carries a scanning visible/infrared radiometer, solar environment monitors and a COSPAS-SARSAT search-and-rescue transponder system. Spacecraft mass at launch is around 1700 kg.