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Molniya-3 (11F637)
Molniya-3 [ISS Reshetnev]
The Molniya were Soviet communication satellites operating from an inclined highly elliptical earth orbit of 500 km × 40000 km with 12 hour period for coverage of high northern latitudes.
The Molniya satellites feature a unique configuration. The pressurized, three-axis stabilized KAUR-2 satellite bus features six non-articulated solar arrays and is operated in a sun-pointed mode. The antennas are mounted on two telescopic arms and are pointable. Each antenna features an optical tracking system which provides information to direct one of the two antennas to the Earth.
The KAUR-2 bus features the KDU-414A with the S5.114 engine. The last two satellites used the 11D414NS engine instead. It is derived from the propulsion system of the Venera 1VA probes.
The Molniya-3 satellites (11F637) are equipped with three Segment-3 transponders supplied by the MNIIRS. They are intended for civilian communications, and operate in C-band (6 GHz for uplinks, downlinks to 4G Hz). Two repeaters operate with a power of 40 W, and the third with a power of 80 W.
| Nation: | USSR / Russia |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Communication |
| Operator: | |
| Contractors: | NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (NPO PM) |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | KAUR-2 |
| Propulsion: | KDU-414A (S5.114) or 11D414NS |
| Power: | 6 deployable solar arrays (1000 W), batteries |
| Lifetime: | 3 years |
| Mass: | 1740 kg |
| Orbit: | 500 km × 40000 km, 62.8° (typical) |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molniya-3 11L (Molniya-3 1) | 1974-092A | 21.11.1974 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 12L (Molniya-3 2) | 1975-029A | 14.04.1975 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 13L (Molniya-3 3) | 1975-105A | 14.11.1975 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 14L | - | not launched | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 15L (Molniya-3 4) | 1975-125A | 27.12.1975 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 16L (Molniya-3 5) | 1976-041A | 12.05.1976 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 17L (Molniya-3 6) | 1976-127A | 28.12.1976 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 18L (Molniya-3 8) | 1977-105A | 28.10.1977 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 19L (Molniya-3 7) | 1977-032A | 28.04.1977 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 20L (Molniya-3 9) | 1978-009A | 24.01.1978 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 21L (Molniya-3 12) | 1979-048A | 05.06.1979 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 22L (Molniya-3 10) | 1978-095A | 13.10.1978 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 23L (Molniya-3 11) | 1979-004A | 18.01.1979 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 24L (Molniya-3 15) | 1981-030A | 24.03.1981 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 25L (Molniya-3 14) | 1981-002A | 09.01.1981 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Kosmos 1175 (Molniya-3 26L) (Molniya-3 ) | 1980-031C | 18.04.1980 | Pl LC-41/1 | P | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | |
| Molniya-3 27L (Molniya-3 13) | 1980-063A | 18.07.1980 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Kosmos 1305 (Molniya-3 28L) (Molniya-3 ) | 1981-088A | 11.09.1981 | Pl LC-43/3 | P | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | |
| Molniya-3 29L (Molniya-3 18) | 1982-023A | 24.03.1982 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 30L (Molniya-3 16) | 1981-054A | 09.06.1981 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 31L (Molniya-3 17) | 1981-105A | 17.10.1981 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 32L (Molniya-3 21) | 1983-090A | 30.08.1983 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 33L (Molniya-3 19) | 1982-083A | 27.08.1982 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 34L (Molniya-3 20) | 1983-015A | 11.03.1983 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 35L (Molniya-3 22) | 1983-123A | 21.12.1983 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 36L (Molniya-3 23) | 1985-004A | 16.01.1985 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 37L (Molniya-3 25) | 1985-061A | 17.07.1985 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 38L (Molniya-3 26) | 1985-091A | 03.10.1985 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 39L (Molniya-3 24) | 1985-040A | 29.05.1985 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 40L (Molniya-3 27) | 1985-117A | 24.12.1985 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 41L (Molniya-3 30) | 1986-079A | 20.10.1986 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 42L (Molniya-3 31) | 1987-008A | 22.01.1987 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 43L (Molniya-3 28) | 1986-031A | 18.04.1986 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 44L (Molniya-3 29) | 1986-049A | 19.06.1986 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 45L (Molniya-3 35) | 1989-043A | 08.06.1989 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 46L (Molniya-3 36) | 1989-094A | 28.11.1989 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 47L (Molniya-3 38) | 1990-052A | 13.06.1990 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 48L (Molniya-3 41) | 1991-065A | 17.09.1991 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 49L (Molniya-3 32) | 1988-044A | 26.05.1988 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 50L (Molniya-3 42) | 1992-067A | 14.10.1992 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 51L (Molniya-3 33) | 1988-090A | 29.09.1988 | Pl LC-41/1 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 52L (Molniya-3 34) | 1988-112A | 22.12.1988 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 53L (Molniya-3 37) | 1990-006A | 23.01.1990 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 54L (Molniya-3 39) | 1990-084A | 20.09.1990 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 55L (Molniya-3 40) | 1991-022A | 22.03.1991 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 56L (Molniya-3 43) | 1992-085A | 02.12.1992 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 57L (Molniya-3 44) | 1993-025A | 21.04.1993 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 58L (Molniya-3 45) | 1993-049A | 04.08.1993 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 59L (Molniya-3 47) | 1995-042A | 09.08.1995 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 60L (Molniya-3 46) | 1994-051A | 23.08.1994 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 61L (Molniya-3 49) | 1998-040A | 01.07.1998 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 62L (Molniya-3 48) | 1996-060A | 24.10.1996 | Pl LC-43/4 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 63L (Molniya-3 50) | 1999-036A | 08.07.1999 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 64L (Molniya-3 51) | 2001-050A | 25.10.2001 | Pl LC-43/3 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) | ||
| Molniya-3 65L (Molniya-3 52) | 2003-029A | 19.06.2003 | Pl LC-16/2 | Molniya-M (Blok-ML) |
Further Molniya missions:
- Molniya-1 (11F67, OKB-1 version) [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-1 (11F67, NPO-PM version) [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-1K (11F658) [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-1S (11F658) [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-1T (11F658T) [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-1Yu [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-2 [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-3 [KAUR-2]
- Molniya-3K [KAUR-2]
