Gonets

Infobox Spacecraft
Organisation = RKA (Until 1996)
Gonets SatCom (1996-Present)
Carrier_Rocket = Tsyklon-3 (D & D1)
Kosmos-3M (One D1M)
Rokot (D1M)
Launch_Site = Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Mission_Duration = 5 years
Major_Contractors = NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki
Mission_Type = Communication
Webpage = [http://gonets.ru/index.php Gonets SatCom] (Russian)
Mass = 233kg (D1)
280kg (D1M)
Power = 40 Watts from solar panels
Batteries = Nickel/Hydrogen
Orbit_regime = LEO
Spectral_Band = UHFcite web|url=http://centaur.sstl.co.uk/SSHP/data/data_gonets.html|title=GONETS|work=Small Satellites Home Page|publisher=Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd|language=English|accessdate=2008-05-11]
NATO B/D-band
Data_Rate = Up to 64kb/s
Periapsis = 1400 kilometres
Apoapsis = 1414 kilometres
Inclination = 82.6°

Gonets (Russian for "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 1992cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/project/strela.htm|title=Strela|last=Wade|first=Mark|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|language=English|accessdate=2008-05-11] , and were designated Gonets-D.cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/gonets-d.htm|title=Gonets-D|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|language=English|accessdate=2008-05-11] The first operational satellites, designated Gonets-D1, were launched on 19 February 1996cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/gonets-d1.htm|title=Gonets-D1|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|language=English|accessdate=2008-05-11] . After launch, the first three satellites were given military Kosmos designations, a practice which was not continued with the other satellites.

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 D1M satellite was launched by a Kosmos-3M rocket on 21 December 2005.cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/gonets-d1m.htm|title=Gonets-D1M|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|language=English|accessdate=2008-05-11] Three satellites were launch aboard a Rokot carrier rocket on 23 May 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0805/23rockot/ |title=Russia launches relay craft, commemorative satellite |publisher=Spaceflight Now]

Gonets was originally a Russian Federal Space Agency programme, however in 1996 it was privatised, and it is now organised by Gonets SatCom. [cite web|url=http://gonets.ru/english.htm|title=Leosat system "Gonets"|publisher=Gonets SatCom|language=English|accessdate=2008-05-11]

ee also

*Iridium (satellite)
*Globalstar
*Orbcomm

External links

* [http://gonets.ru/index.php Gonets SatCom website] (Russian)
** [http://gonets.ru/english.htm in English]

References