Gonets-M 13 (23L)

Spacecraft nº:

Russian spacecraft nº:

Launch data: Designation  40554 / 15020C Launch date  31 Mar 2015 - 13:48 UT Launch site  Plesetsk, LC-133/3 Launch vehicle  Rokot-KM Mission  Communication, Store-Dump Polar Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  1494 x 1506 km Eccentricity   Inclination  82.5 ° Period   min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• Gonets-M are upgraded versions of the Gonets satellites, a civilian derivate of the military Strela-3 satellite system. They are operated in the Gonets-D1M constellation. The Gonets system was offered to support international health organizations to meet their global communications needs for the transfer of medical data and records to remote sites.

Mission details:

• On March 31, 2015 at 16:47:56 MSK (13:47:56 UTC) the Space Forces conducted a successful launch of a Rockot space launcher with Briz-KM booster stage from the launch pad No. 3 of the launch complex No. 133 of the Plesetsk test site. The launcher delivered into orbit three Gonets-M communication satellites (21L, 22L, and 23L) and a small satellite designated as Cosmos-2504.
• According to the designer of the system, the Information Satellite Systems, this launch completes the deployment of the Gonets-D1M communication system, which now includes 12 satellites.
• As with other recent Gonets and Strela launches, an additional military payload was carried. For the first time, this payload was ejected from the Briz-KM upper stage after its depletion burn, and so ended up in a lower perigee orbit than the Gonets trio.