Raduga-1 8

Launch data: Designation  34264 / 09010A Launch date  28 Feb 2009 - 04:10 UT Launch site  B, LC81/24 Launch vehicle  Proton-K / DM-2 Mission  Military: Communications Geostationary orbit on Mar 7.99: Perigee / Apogee  36029 x 36290 km Eccentricity   Inclination  1.48 deg Period  1455.18 min

Mission details:

• Globus satellite, used for Russian military and government communications: manufactured by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki. The Globus satellites have not been displayed, but they are probably similar to the now-retired Gorizont satellites: cylindrical body, approximately 2 metres diameter and 5 metres long, plus two vanes of solar panels which span ~26.5 metres.
• Satellite was announced as a member of the “Cosmos” series: this has happened with some previous Globus satellites, but they have had Raduga-1 designators applied to them by the Russians eventually.
• A Russian military communications satellite in the Globus series (cover name Raduga-1) was launched on Feb 28 by a Khrunichev Proton-K with an Energiya DM-2 upper stage. The previous launch in the series was a modified Raduga-1M launched with the more modern Proton-M/Briz-M rocket; the use of the older rocket suggests that this one is indeed just a Raduga-1 and not a Raduga-1M. The new Raduga-1 was in geosynchronous orbit in the 90 E region late on Feb 28.