Molniya (satellite)
![]() Molniya 1 | |||
Manufacturer | Experimental Design Bureau (OKB-1) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Country of origin | USSR | ||
Operator | Experimental Design Bureau (OKB-1) | ||
Applications | Communications and surveillance | ||
Specifications | |||
Bus | KAUR-2 | ||
Launch mass | 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) | ||
Dimensions | 4.4 m tall, 1.4 m base diameter [1] | ||
Power | 6 solar panels + batteries [1] | ||
Regime | Molniya orbit | ||
Design life | 1.5 to 5 years | ||
Production | |||
Status | Retired | ||
Launched | 164 [2] | ||
Maiden launch | Molniya 1-1, 23 April 1965 [2] | ||
Last launch | Molniya 1-93, 18 February 2004 [1] | ||
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The Molniya (Russian: Молния, IPA:
There were 164 Molniya satellites launched, all in Molniya orbits with the exception of Molniya 1S which was launched into geostationary orbit for testing purposes.[4][5]
History
In the early 1960s, when Europe and America were establishing
Molniya 1
The Molniya programme was authorized on 30 October 1961 and design was handled by OKB-1.
The early Molniya-1 satellites were designed for television, telegraph and telephone across Russia,[9] but they were also fitted with cameras used for weather monitoring, and possibly for assessing clear areas for Zenit spy satellites.[12] The system was operational by 1967, with the construction of the Orbita groundstations.[9]
They had a lifespan of approximately 1.5 years, as their orbits were disrupted by
By the 1970s, the Molniya 1 series (and the upgrade Molniya 1T) was mostly used for military communications, with civilian communications moving to Molniya 2.[9]
In total 94 Molniya 1 series satellites were launched, with the last going up in 2004.[2]
Molniya 2
The first Molniya 2 satellites were tested from 1971 with the first operational satellite launching in 1974 from Plesetsk. The used the same satellite bus and basic design as later model Molniya 1 satellites, but with an expanded number of users under the military's Unified System of Satellite Communications (YeSSS) program. Development was difficult because the final satellite bus was unpressurized, changing their selection of radios.[10]
These satellites were used in the Soviet national
Only seventeen Molniya 2 series satellite were launched, as they were soon superseded by the Molniya 3.[2]
Molniya 3
Originally called the Molniya-2M, their development began in 1972, with launches from 1974. They were also based on the KAUR-2 bus, launching solely from Plesetsk. Earlier models were used for civilian communications in a similar orbit, but different purpose, to the military-only Molniya-1 satellites. From 1980s they were used by the military, and by the 1990s they were operated in the same manner as the Molniya 1 satellites.[15]
A total of 53 Molniya 3 series satellites were launched, with the last one going up in 2003.[2]
Orbital Properties
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Molniya.jpg/290px-Molniya.jpg)
A typical Molniya series satellite, has:
- Semi-major axis: 26,600 km
- Eccentricity: 0.74
- Inclination: 63.4° [13]
- Argument of perigee: 270°
- Period: 718 minutes [16]
Inclination
In general, the
Period
Similarly, to ensure the ground track repeats every 24 hours the
Eccentricity
To maximise the dwell time the eccentricity, the differences in altitudes of the apogee and perigee, had to be large.
However, the perigee needed to be far enough above the atmosphere to avoid drag, and the orbital period needed to be approximately half a sidereal day. These two factors constrained the eccentricity to become approximately 0.737.[16]
Successors
Molniya series satellites were replaced by the Meridian series, with the first launch in 2006.[18] As of 2023[update], there are currently 36 Molniya satellites left in orbit.[19]
References
- ^ a b c John Pike (ed.). "Molniya". Global Security.org.
- ^ a b c d e "Satellite Catalog". Space-Track.org. SAIC. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ISBN 9781884989094. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- ^ Gunter Dirk Krebs. "Molniya-1S". Gunter's Space Page.
- ^ "Geosynchronous Orbits - Russia and Communications Satellite Systems".
- ^ a b Anatoly Zak. "Russian communications satellites". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ Robert A. Braeunig. "Basics of Space Flight: Orbital Mechanics". www.braeunig.us. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
- ISBN 9783319034164.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85109-514-8. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ a b c Mark Wade. "Molniya-2". astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.
- ^ Joel Achenbach (3 January 2012). "Spaceship Earth: The first photos". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ^ Hendrickx, Bart. "A History of Soviet/Russian Meteorological Satellites" (PDF). bis-space.com. Antwerpen, Belgium. p. 66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ a b Kolyuka, Yu. F.; Ivanov, N.M.; Afanasieva, T.I.; Gridchina, T.A. (28 September 2009). Examination of the Lifetime, Evolution and Re-Entry Features for the "Molniya" Type Orbits (PDF). 21st International Symposium of Space Flight Dynamics. Toulouse, France: Mission Control Center 4, Korolev, Moscow. p. 2. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-16-081733-5.
- ^ Mark Wade. "Molniya-3". astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.
- ^ .
- Bibcode:1999smad.book.....W.
- ^ Zak, Anatoly. "The Meridian satellite (14F112)". RussianSpaceWeb. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ "SatCat: Molniya payload search". Space Track.
External links
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