Luch 5A, 5V

Luch-5A [ISS Reshetnev]

The Luch-5 will be the russian follow-on relay satellites, which replace the Luch and Luch-2 satellites. Two satellites named Luch 5A and Luch 5B are currently planned for launches in 2010 and 2011. The smaller satellites are based on the Ekspress-1000 bus and will be launched with a co-passenger on Proton-M Briz-M boosters.

S- and Ku-band data relay channels of each satellite will be linked with receive/transmit points via satellite communications links.

Each data relay satellite is capable of orienting its high-precision antennas towards low-flying space objects so as to “catch” and “track” them along their trajectories. Moreover, each of the two user antennas is capable of tracking its “own” low-flying space object. One antenna will operate in the Ku-band, the other – in the S-band, with the Ku-band channel capacity at 150 Mbit/s and the S-band channel capacity at up to 5 Mbit/s.

The Luch-5A spacecraft is also intended to receive COSPAS/SARSAT signals in the P-band and relay them in the L-band to the ground data receiving points. In addition, Loutch-5A will allow collection and transmission of the Planet-S System hydrometeorological data.