Meridian 2

Launch data: Designation  35008 / 09029A Launch date  21 May 2009 - 21:53 UT Launch site  Pl, LC-43/4 Launch vehicle  Soyuz-2-1A / Fregat Mission  Government: Communication Elliptical Earth orbit on May 21.96: Perigee / Apogee  275 x 36474 km Eccentricity  7.31E-01 Inclination  62.84 deg Period  645.94 min

Mission details:

• Meridian is a new class of Russian communications satellite, believed to be primarily used for government and military communications: as such it is a replacement for the Molniya & Parus satellites, especially since they are launched into the standard “Molniya” 12-hours eccentric orbit. Satellite designed by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki using the Uragan-M platform, with the manufacture sub-contracted to PO Polyot. It comprises a central cylindrical body plus two pairs of two-segment steerable solar panels.
• Russia's second Meridian military communications satellite was launched by Soyuz-Fregat from Plesetsk on May 21 into a 290 x 36460 km x 62.8 deg orbit. This is lower than the expected 1000 x 39800 km orbit. and suggests that the second Fregat burn was cut short and the third one did not occur. According to a report on the Novosti Kosmonavtiki forum, the third stage cut off 5s early; the Fregat tried to make up the difference but ran dry during the second burn at around 2247 UTC. Meridian separated at 0013 UTC on May 22; the third burn would have been at about 0500 UTC during first apogee.
• The RAs of the ascending node of the two Meridian satellites are about 100 degrees apart:

  Meridian 1   Jun 13.75   64.00 deg   RA =  54.17 deg   717.75 minutes   1,198 km   39,155 km   293 deg
  
  Meridian 2   Jun 13.39   62.84 deg   RA = 153.99 deg   646.04 minutes     300 km   36,454 km   290 deg
  

• As of Jun 20, 2009 Meridian 2 was still stuck in its initial, lower than planned 646-minute transfer orbit.