Gonets
 | |
| Manufacturer | NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Russia |
| Operator | RKA (Until 1996) Gonets SatCom (1996-Present) |
| Applications | Communication |
| Specifications | |
| Launch mass | 233 to 280 kilograms (514 to 617 lb) |
| Power | 40 Watts from solar panels |
| Batteries | Nickel/Hydrogen |
| Equipment | UHF transponders[1] (NATO B/D band) Data rate up to 64kb/s |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Design life | 5 years |
| Production | |
| Status | Active |
| Related spacecraft | |
| Derived from | Strela |
Gonets (Russian Гонец, Messenger) is a Russian civilian low Earth orbit communication satellite system. It consists of a number of satellites, derived from Strela military communication satellites. The first two satellites, which were used to test and validate the system, were launched by a Tsyklon-3 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 13 July 1992,[2] and were designated Gonets-D.[3] The first operational satellites, designated Gonets-D1, were launched on 19 February 1996.[3] After launch, the first three satellites were given military Kosmos designations, a practice which was not continued with the other satellites.[2]
Ten operational satellites and two demonstration spacecraft have been placed in orbit. A further three were lost in a launch failure on 27 December 2000. A new series of modernised Gonets satellites, Gonets-D1M, will supplement and eventually replace the satellites which are currently in orbit. A single first D1M satellite was launched by a Kosmos-3M rocket on 21 December 2005.[4] A second D1M satellite was launched by a Rokot carrier rocket on 8 September 2010.[4]
Gonets was originally a Russian Federal Space Agency programme, but in 1996 it was privatised, and it is now organised by Gonets SatCom,[5] which is controlled by ISS Reshetnev.[6]
User characteristics
As of 2016[update], the Gonets orbit group comprises 12 second-generation spacecraft “Gonets-M” and 1 first-generation “Gonets-D1”. The orbital group performs the task of direct communication with subscribers at any point of the globe. With such a number of spacecraft in the Gonets orbit group, the system provides communication with waiting time characteristics as indicated in the following table.
| City, location | latitude | Session probability = 0.9 Waiting time | Session probability = 0.8 Waiting time | Session probability = 0.7 Waiting time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meru, Kenya | 0° | 25.04 min | 19.98 min | 13.54 min |
| Fuli, Vietnam / Vitoria, Brazil | 20° / −20° | 19.47 min | 14.97 min | 8.85 min |
| Yerevan, Armenia / Wellington, New Zealand | 40° / −40° | 17.79 min | 12.04 min | 6.08 min |
| Belgorod, Russia / Isla Duque de York, Chile | 50° / −50° | 15.00 min | 8.19 min | 2.17 min |
| Vyborg, Russia / Orcadas Antarctic Station | 60° / −60° | 5.64 min | 1.78 min | 0.00 min |
| Kara Gate Straight, Barencts Sea / Novolazarevskaya Station, Antarctic | 70° / −70° | 3.45 min | 0.00 min | 0.00 min |
| Gall Island, North Arctic Ocean / Antarctic Kunlun Station | 80° / −80° | 0.00 min | 0.00 min | 0.00 min |
| North Pole / Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station | 90° / −90° | 0.00 min | 0.00 min | 0.00 min |
Technical characteristics of subscriber terminals 0.3–0.4 GHz
| Transmitter power | 8–10 W |
| Positioning accuracy by GPS/GLONASS | up to 10 m |
| Modulation | GMSK |
| Power supply | AC 220 V, DC 12 V |
| Weight | 100–300 g |
| Bitrates: "Subscriber – Satellite" | 2.4–9.6 kbit/s |
| Bitrates: "Satellite – Subscriber" | 9.6–76.8 kbit/s |
See also
References
- ^ "GONETS". Small Satellites Home Page. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Archived from the original on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Wade, Mark. "Strela". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2008-05-26. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Gonets". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Gonets-M". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
- ^ "Leosat system "Gonets"". Gonets SatCom. Archived from the original on 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ^ "Investors - GONETS Leosat system". gonets.ru. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)