Meridian 2
Encyclopedia
Meridian 2 is a Russia
n communications satellite
. It is the second satellite of the Meridian system, which will replace the older Molniya
series. It follows on from Meridian 1
, which was launched in December 2006.
Meridian 2 was launched on a Soyuz-2.1a rocket with a Fregat
upper stage, from Site 43/4
at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome
. The launch occurred on 21 May 2009, at 21:53 GMT. While the launch was officially announced as successful, the satellite was placed in a significantly lower orbit than expected, and it was later reported that the upper stage of the Soyuz carrier rocket had shut down five seconds early, and an attempt to compensate for the low orbit resulted in the Fregat running out of fuel during its second burn. Following launch, it was reported to have been given a Kosmos designation, however such a designation was never assigned. Molniya satellites intended for operational use were only assigned Kosmos designations if they were considered to have failed. If it had of received a Kosmos designation, it would have been Kosmos 2451 ( meaning Cosmos 2451).
Whilst the launch was originally considered to have been a partial failure, with the spacecraft able to correct its own orbit, it later emerged that the spacecraft could not reach a usable orbit, and the mission was declared a failure.
It is believed to be based on the Uragan-M satellite bus
, which has also been used for GLONASS
navigation satellites. It was constructed by NPO PM. It will operate in a Molniya orbit
with a perigee
of 900 kilometres (559.2 mi), an apogee of 39000 kilometres (24,233.5 mi), and 65° inclination
.
Based on radio observations, Meridian-2 is known to downlink in the 278MHz, 992MHz-1002MHz and 3.6GHz bands.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
. It is the second satellite of the Meridian system, which will replace the older Molniya
Molniya (satellite)
Molniya was a military communications satellite system used by the Soviet Union. The satellites were placed into highly eccentric elliptical orbits known as Molniya orbits, characterised by an inclination of +63.4 degrees and a period of around 12 hours...
series. It follows on from Meridian 1
Meridian 1
Meridian 1, also known as Meridian #11L was a Russian communications satellite. It was the first satellite to be launched as part of the Meridian system, which will replace the older Molniya series....
, which was launched in December 2006.
Meridian 2 was launched on a Soyuz-2.1a rocket with a Fregat
Fregat
Fregat is a type of rocket stage developed by NPO Lavochkin in the 1990s. Its main engine is a liquid propellant rocket that uses UDMH and N2O4 as propellants.- Specifications :...
upper stage, from Site 43/4
Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43
Site 43, also known as SK-3 and SK-4, is a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consists of a two pads, Sites 43/3 and 43/4, and has been used by R-7 derived rockets since the early 1960s....
at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport, located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk.-Overview:...
. The launch occurred on 21 May 2009, at 21:53 GMT. While the launch was officially announced as successful, the satellite was placed in a significantly lower orbit than expected, and it was later reported that the upper stage of the Soyuz carrier rocket had shut down five seconds early, and an attempt to compensate for the low orbit resulted in the Fregat running out of fuel during its second burn. Following launch, it was reported to have been given a Kosmos designation, however such a designation was never assigned. Molniya satellites intended for operational use were only assigned Kosmos designations if they were considered to have failed. If it had of received a Kosmos designation, it would have been Kosmos 2451 ( meaning Cosmos 2451).
Whilst the launch was originally considered to have been a partial failure, with the spacecraft able to correct its own orbit, it later emerged that the spacecraft could not reach a usable orbit, and the mission was declared a failure.
It is believed to be based on the Uragan-M satellite bus
Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...
, which has also been used for GLONASS
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
navigation satellites. It was constructed by NPO PM. It will operate in a Molniya orbit
Molniya orbit
Molniya orbit is a type of highly elliptical orbit with an inclination of 63.4 degrees, an argument of perigee of -90 degree and an orbital period of one half of a sidereal day...
with a perigee
Perigee
Perigee is the point at which an object makes its closest approach to the Earth.. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits. The opposite is the apogee, the farthest or highest point.The Greek prefix "peri"...
of 900 kilometres (559.2 mi), an apogee of 39000 kilometres (24,233.5 mi), and 65° inclination
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
.
Based on radio observations, Meridian-2 is known to downlink in the 278MHz, 992MHz-1002MHz and 3.6GHz bands.
External links
- Meridian 2 - NSSDC ID: 2009-029A
- N2YO Meridian-2 Tracking - Live Meridian-2 tracking