Molniya 3-50

Russia

Spacecraft n°:

Russia satellite n°:

Launch data:

Designation	25847 / 99036A
Launch date	08 Jul 1999
Launch site	Plesetsk
Launch vehicle	Molniya-M/ML (8K78M - #309)
Mission	Telecommunications
Earth orbit on:
Perigee/Apogee	462/39889 km
Inclination	62.8°
Period	717.7 min

Mission report:

A Molniya-3 comsat was launched from Plesetsk on Jul 8. The launch was from one of the 3 active R-7 class pads at Plesetsk (LC16/pad 2, LC43/pad 3, LC43/pad 4) and used the 8K78M launch vehicle, consisting of the 11S59 core packet, the 11S510 Blok I third stage, and the Blok-ML upper stage. The Blok ML and the payload were placed in a 62.8 degree low parking orbit and then the ML fired to deliver the payload to a 12-hour operational orbit. The payload is the 52nd Molniya-3 to be launched and is probably Molniya-3 11F637 No. 63, although the satellites are not launched in production order. The Molniya-3 is built by NPO PM of Zheleznogorsk, and provides communications and TV relay for Russian military and civil agencies.

Ref: #7(JR403), #15 - update: 30.03.06