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Express

Nine months after Gals 1 was launched, Express 1 was inserted into a nearly GEO orbit. The Express series spacecraft closely resemble the Gals spacecraft which share a similar spacecraft bus (Figure 4.42). Express will replace the widely used Gorizont spacecraft, and current plans call for deployments at 13 locations (40 degrees, 53 degrees, 80 degrees, 90 degrees, 96.5 degrees, 99 degrees, 103 degrees, 140 degrees, 145 degrees, 205 degrees, 322.5 degrees, 346 degrees, and 349 degrees, all East longitude) just for domestic needs and to support the Intersputnik Telecommunications Association. Additional Express spacecraft may be sold to foreign companies, e.g., Rimsat, Ltd. While the Express solar arrays are identical to those on Gals, the spacecraft bus has slightly smaller dimensions of 3.6 m by 6.1 m. A typical Express payload will include 10 C-band and two Ku-band transponders. Express 1 reached its checkout location of 70 degrees E at the end of October and was scheduled to be moved to 14 degrees W shortly after the start of 1995 (References 262, 323, 325-328).

262. Vestnik Svyazi, 11 November 1994, pp. 6-10.

323. Novosti Kosmonavtiki, 4-17 June 1995, p. 27.

324. "Beijing Company To Buy Two Russian Satellites", Space News, 19-25 December 1994, p.2.

325. Y. Gornostayev, op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 211-215.

326. ITAR-TASS News Agency, 22 November 1994.

327. "Rimsat, Informcosmos Spar Over Satellite Deal", Space News, 19-25 December 1994, p. 2.

328. Various technical brochures about the Express spacecraft distributed by Applied Mechanics NP0, undated.

Sources and Resources

• Adapted from: Europe and Asia in Space 1993-1994, Nicholas Johnson and David Rodvold [Kaman Sciences / Air Force Phillips Laboratory]

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