â„–12, 2011
Space in Service to Humanity
Information Satellite Systems
Dear colleagues, 2011 has been announced as the Year of Russian Cosmonautics by the President of Russia. 50 years ago, on April 12, Yury Gagarin, a citizen of our country, first travelled into space, thus, opening a new page in human history. Today it is impossible to imagine the modern world without space technologies that ensure the socio-economic development of countries and their security and promote scientific research. We are proud that 50 years ago, at the initiative of Sergey Korolyov, the father of applied Russian cosmonautics and the creator of the first manned spacecraft, Design Bureau-1 (OKB-1) opened a branch in Siberia which is known today as Academician M.F.Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems. Over the years the enterprise has turned into Russia’s leading enterprise specializing in the manufacture of automated spacecraft. Satellites by ISS‑Reshetnev replenish both Russian and foreign constellations. Rigorous requirements that modern satellites must meet provide a powerful impetus to developing new technologies, production and experimental facilities and personnel. By taking these steps, we increase the competitiveness of our products. Today the company’s backlog of firm orders for the design and manufacture of spacecraft is fairly large and includes both government and commercial orders. Implementing new programs successfully, we make a substantial contribution to the development of both national and international cosmonautics, an industry, which, having started as a romantic dream of humanity to explore new worlds, today provides a great many of services and a single information space.
General Designer and Director General of Academician M.F.Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems
Nikolay Testoyedov
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Contents The GLONASS revolution
Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems 52, Lenin Street, Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region, 662972 Russia Tel: +7 (3919) 72-80-08 Fax: +7 (3919) 72-26-35 Editor-in-Chief � Svetlana Bashkova Managing Editor � Christina Uspenskaya Translation � Svetlana Kulaga Photo � Vlada Mineeva Design � Maxim Mikhalchenkov Published by Information Satellite Systems 2011 For details contact: pressa@iss-reshetnev.ru http://www.iss-reshetnev.com tel: +7 (3919) 76-45-25
Customer interest in our products is indicative of our successful performance International cooperation – the keystone of the technological progress
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Glonass-К’s world premiere
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Science – Industry Alliance
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Digital television broadcasting: a new stage in the development
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Production expansion – the demand of the present time
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Russia’s Ka‑band constellation development plan
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Contoured-beam antennas: from development to application
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Design Center – the future of ISS‑Reshetnev’s satellite equipment production
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Satellite pre-launch preparation
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ISS‑Reshetnev’s contribution to manned cosmonautics
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No unauthorized photocopying.
Information Satellite Systems
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Achievements
The GLONASS revolution The next-generation Glonass-K satellite developed and manufactured by Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems within the framework of the federal target program Global Navigation Satellite System was successfully launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome on February 26, 2011. The Glonass-K satellite was delivered into the desired orbit by a Souz-2-1b/ Fregat launch vehicle. The satellite solar arrays and antennas were successfully deployed; uninterrupted communication with the ground was established. Now that Glonass-K has been launched the Russian orbital fleet numbers 27 navigation satellites. Glonass-K’s unique feature is its unpressurized design. The satellite is based on ISS‑Reshetnev’s new Express‑1000K satellite platform allowing accommodation of heavier payloads and their continuous operation in open space. By comparison with its predecessor, the Glonass-M spacecraft, the new navigation satellite is designed to run for 10 years instead of 7 and to have a more powerful electric power supply subsystem, i.e. 1.6 kW instead of 1.4 kW. Besides, the satellite mass has been reduced by half a ton and amounts to 935 kg. Glonass-K is more than just a satellite with improved performance. “The launch of the new Glonass-K spacecraft is not only a step towards improving the accuracy of the GLONASS system but also a switch to its multifunctional performance which will lead to an increase in applications including science, technology and the social sphere“, said Nikolay Testoyedov, general designer and general director of the Reshetnev Company. According to Nikolay Testoyedov, satellites of the Glonass-K series will form the core of the Russian navigation satellite system in the next 10 years.
They will accommodate equipment designed to solve some geodetic tasks as well as help to perform cadastral work, and track and monitor vehicles carrying dangerous cargoes. The Glonass-K spacecraft will transmit the new code division multiple access civil signal at the GLONASS L3 frequency to provide high-accuracy navigational data for a wide range of users. Socially important sectors will benefit as well. Thus, the upgraded GLONASS system will allow different emergency services to reduce response time to emergency situations. These additional capabilities will be enabled by the COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue payload installed on-board the Glonass-K spacecraft. “The ship heading indication system will enable navigation in low visibility and hard-toreach locations. Besides, with ground stations installed at airports, it will be possible to deploy a blind landing system for airplanes to perform safe landings regardless of weather conditions”, said Nikolay Testoyedov, general designer of the GLONASS space-based segment. Thus, the successful launch of the next-generation Glonass-K satellite has opened a qualitatively new stage in the development of the GLONASS global navigation satellite system.
Souz-2-1b/ Fregat launch vehicle with Glonass-K at Plesetsk
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Information Satellite Systems
Results and prospects
Customer interest in our products is indicative of our successful performance The dynamic development of the Reshetnev Company is traced in various aspects of the company’s activity. ISS‑Reshetnev’s backlog is on the increase. The enterprise is upgrading its technological base, expanding the production facilities, taking on new employees and implementing more innovative projects. These achievements are not accidental. They are the result of the hard, painstaking work of a large team and effective workflow management.
Projects and customers The Reshetnev Company is a government contractor implementing strategic initiatives, including defense orders, the federal space program for 2006-2015 and the federal target program “Global navigation system”. These programs are currently under reconsideration to be extended until 2020. The Reshetnev Company is present in all the programs and has a long order book. Owing to its highlevel research initiatives and modern production facilities ISS‑Reshetnev stands in one line with the world’s best satellite manufacturing companies, which is proved by the company’s active participation in international programs. The company’s sales volume in 2010 was 16.7 billion roubles.
ISS-built satellites make up 2/3 of the Russian orbital constellation. The company is the prime contractor for the design and manufacture of the GLONASS space-based segment. Our next-generation satellite Glonass-K was successfully launched in late February this year. Still, we have another 5 navigation satellites scheduled for launch in 2011. The company is ready to meet this target. Starting from 2013, Glonass-M satellites will be gradually replaced by Glonass-K spacecraft. By the way, the first Glonass satellites exceeded their planned three-year lifetimes and, in fact, operated successfully for 5 years. In any case, all the operational satellites will continue their missions as long as they are designed to; as for the ageing satellites, they will remain as reserves.
In the future, the GLONASS system will be replenished by GlonassKM satellites with greater technical capabilities. Within the scope of the federal space program we continue to build the multifunctional personal communications system GONETSD1M. Now we are developing the new satellite Gonets-M1. The Loutch‑5A and Loutch‑5B satellites are scheduled for launch in 2011. We also plan to replenish Russia’s highly elliptical satellite constellation by replacing the legendary Molnia spacecraft. Last year we signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Agriculture for the manufacture of three CosmosCX satellites intended for monitoring agricultural lands over the Russian territory. Design solutions offered
Information Satellite Systems
Output per worker in 2007-2010 and as planned for 2011, thous. roubles
for the Cosmos-CX program will enable collection of high-resolution satellite image data. The new satellites will provide a platform for Earth observations to enable forecasts of crop yield as well as predict droughts, floods and other natural phenomena that might cause damage to the national agricultural complex. ISS‑Reshetnev is also engaged in international programs. At present, the company is completing two satellite projects: the AMOS-5 satellite for the Israeli satellite operator Space-Communication Ltd. and the TELCOM-3 spacecraft for the Indonesian satellite service provider PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk. In 2010 ISS‑Reshetnev signed a contract with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation (Canada) for the development and manufacture of the Lybid satellite intended for the national communications satellite system of Ukraine. The implementation of these programs will allow ISS‑Reshetnev to receive a flight-proven status for its Express‑1000 satellite platform, which, apart from the above-mentioned satellites is also the base of the Yamal‑300K spacecraft being built for Gazprom Space Systems. The new class of Express satellites, i.e. Express‑AM5 and Express‑AM6 being manufactured for RSCC and the Yamal‑401 spacecraft ordered by Gazprom Space Systems are based on the advanced Express‑2000 platform. It is very important for us that our company can turn Russian customers’ attention to domestic products. Russian customers are getting more and more demanding and that is good. Last year one of them, RSCC, awarded a contract to ISS‑Reshetnev for the manufacture of three satellites: Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1 and Express‑AT2. These satellites will bring television broadcasting to a qualitatively new level in Russia. All in all, we plan to prepare 21 satellites for launch in 2011, with a possibility of delivering another 7 spacecraft into orbit. All the launches are scheduled for the end of the year; satellite launch dates are determined by the technological cycles of spaceports and the capabilities of rocket manufacturers.
Development: step by step
3 500,0 3 000,0 2 500,0 2 000,0 1 500,0 1 000,0 500,0 0,0
2007
2008
technology and instrumentation both of domestic and foreign origin. The enterprise is actively implementing new techniques and methods of manufacturing honeycomb panels, shaped antennas, UHF elements, devices made of composite materials and many others. Besides, the company is constantly increasing the share of the Russian electronic component base. The term “nanotechnology” is not new for us; ISS‑Reshetnev has been applying nanotechnology for almost 20 years. We continue to build new production areas and reconstruct the existing facilities. At the moment, three new
2010 In-house activities per worker
2011 plan
buildings are nearing completion, with three more workshops being designed. The facility for manufacturing and testing large-sized foldable antennas will be phased in this year. The ESA is showing an interest in our 12-meter antennas, talks have been already initiated. The unique facility for the manufacture of antennas and antennafeeder devices opens for us good prospects and will serve the Russian satellite manufacturing industry for more than one decade. It is important to mention our production of contoured-beam antennas. Until now we have been buying these Volumes of sales and in-house activities in 2007-2010 and as planned for 2011
30 000,0
25 000,0
20 000,0
15 000,0
10 000,0
5 000,0
0,0
2007
2008
Volumes of sales, mln. roubles
In satellite manufacturing the Reshetnev Company uses the latest
2009
Total sales per worker
2009
2010
2011 plan Volumes of in-house activities, mln. roubles
7
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Information Satellite Systems
Results and prospects
Electrical testing of the TELKOM-3 spacecraft
very expensive products from abroad. Today our company is pioneering their production. To this end, we have built a new facility and at the moment are assembling the equipment. The Reshetnev Company has recently put up a galvanizing workshop to combine electroplating and varnishand-paint operations in one place. During the past year ISS‑Reshetnev procured 500 items of manufacturing and test equipment, including 30 numerically controlled machines. The company’s expenditure on equipment in 2010 amounted to over 300 million roubles. A decision has been made to build a new satellite integration facility in 2012 so as to lessen the burden of some workshops and make work with customers more effective. In order to make a modern satellite tomorrow, we must invest money in the modernization of production today. We do appreciate the Federal Space Agency’s support in project financing which in fact determines tomorrow of the whole industry. I must say that 82% of our earned profit is invested in production (new technologies, equipment, personnel training). Owing to the ongoing modernization total sales per worker at ISS‑Reshetnev have increased 6.5 times in the last few years. In 2009 Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems completed business integration to form a large integrated company from 9 Russian space enterprises. Thus, at present the total number of ISS‑Reshetnev’s employees is about 13 thousand people. In accordance with the recently approved resolution, the integration process will continue. In the nearest future more companies will join the Reshetnev Group. Among these is Lavochkin Production Association (Khimki), the design bureau Fakel (Kaliningrad) and some others.
Professionalism as the basis for growth In accordance with the existing personnel policy the Reshetnev Company regularly recruits young specialists and workers. Thus, in the last 4 years the average age of our employees has decreased by 1.5 years to 44 years. This is very illustrative for an enterprise employing 7.5 thousand people. It is clear that work experience is important
Glonass-K
Information Satellite Systems
ISS-Reshetnev regularly takes on young specialists for a high-tech industry like satellite manufacturing. It takes years to train a good specialist no matter whether he is a designer or a fitter. We should think today to ensure the future of Russian cosmonautics tomorrow. We have an opportunity to attract and retain talented and result-oriented people. The Reshetnev Company cooperates actively with a number of higher educational establishments. Science-intensive production requires highly-qualified employees and professional management. Our company employs more than 50 candidates and doctors of science, 110 staff members are doing postgraduate research. A number of branch faculties and departments have been opened at ISS‑Reshetnev by Krasnoyarsk’s leading universities. In addition, we implement target student intake programs. At present over 400 young people are studying disciplines related to ISS‑Reshetnev’s activities at Russia’s best universities in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan and Tomsk. The company pays a lot of attention to professional skill competitions that stimulate employees’ growth and development. The feeling of being needed allows our employees to fully unlock their potential. As a result they offer new design solutions which later get protected by patent and accepted in production. It goes without saying that we owe much of our success to our Russian and foreign partners. We have forged strong partnership relations with the French company Thales Alenia Space, with which we have been co-operating successfully for almost 15 years.
Today ISS‑Reshetnev’s experience in personnel training is interesting not only for our Russian colleagues, but also for foreign customers. We declare our readiness to provide training in satellite control to the staff members of foreign satellite operators who want to buy our satellite. It is obvious that they can not go to the satellite manufacturer every time the need arises. Sometimes it is impossible; sometimes it is expensive; sometimes it can be dangerous – in case of satellite malfunction you need to react immediately. That is why for a satellite operator knowledge is an important factor. In this regard, within the TELKOM-3 satellite project being implemented by ISS‑Reshetnev for the Indonesian satellite operator PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk, the Reshetnev Company has organized an internship program for the customer’s representatives. The Indonesian delegation has been trained in Zheleznogorsk since early 2010. The training course provides knowledge on the TELCOM-3 satellite design and control, which will allow the Indonesian specialists to operate the satellite in the most effective way and better understand the function of all the satellite subsystems. The aim of the company’s activity is to create technically perfect products with maximum reliability and lifetimes. Customers’ interest in our products shows that we meet this challenge successfully, which gives us impetus for further improvement. We look confidently into the future. Today the company is participating in several international bidding processes. Our
ISS-Reshetnev's trainees from Indonesia chances of success are good. At the same time, by increasing the share of the Russian electronic component base ISS‑Reshetnev ensures the country a greater technological independence in satellite manufacturing. Nikolay Testoyedov, General designer and director general of Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems
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Information Satellite Systems
Events
International cooperation – the keystone of the technological progress The Reshetnev Company has been cooperating with a number of French firms in satellite manufacturing for over 18 years. This collaboration is actively encouraged at diplomatic level. Thus, in February 2011, ISS‑Reshetnev received Jean de Gliniasty, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Russia. The visit of the high guest started with a tour round ISS‑Reshetnev’s production and experimental facilities. The French Embassy delegation was shown around by Nikolay Testoyedov, ISS‑Reshetnev general designer and director general, who presented the company’s latest achievements in satellite manufacturing. When demonstrating satellites currently under construction at the Reshetnev Company, Nikolay Testoyedov in detail referred to the programs being implemented in cooperation with the French partners. “This spacecraft is being built for the Israeli satellite service provider Spacecom. In October last year the payload module structure made up of honeycomb panels by the Reshetnev team arrived from France equipped with a Thales Alenia Space payload. At present the satellite is undergoing all types of tests including environmental
testing in a special chamber. This is a medium-class telecommunications satellite. It weighs 1800 kg and has 5.5 kW of payload power”, told Nikolay Testoyedov about the AMOS-5 satellite as the delegation was guided around the assembly workshop. “The contribution of the French partners to ISS‑Reshetnev’s satellite projects in the form of Thales Alenia Space payloads, Saft batteries, SODERN star trackers allows us to manufacture high-class space-technology products”, added ISS‑Reshetnev general designer and director general. “That is why our company together with Thales Alenia Space has won several tender competitions and at the moment we are making 6 satellites for Russia as well as preparing a number of proposals”. Nikolay Testoyedov also emphasized that the Reshetnev Company used the very latest Russian and foreign
technologies in all its projects, and as an example, he demonstrated the AMOS-5 central isogrid tube made of polymer composite materials and the load-bearing structure made up of honeycomb panels with embedded heat pipes. In the anechoic chamber area the French delegation was shown the Loutch‑5A payload with deployed umbrella-type antennas. “The structure of antennas is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic; the mesh is made of 25 micron tungsten wire which is 4 times thinner than a human hair. For better reflective properties, the mesh is gold-plated and 1-3 micron thick. The satellite is oriented towards the Earth; its antennas move and track the movement of the International space station and low-altitude satellites”, explained Nikolay Testoyedov to the Ambassador of France. The Reshetnev
Information Satellite Systems
Company is building the Loutch‑5A satellite in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space. The Loutch‑5A program is the company’s first project in which it has subcontracted separate payload elements to the French company instead of a complete payload, and will perform payload assembly, integration and testing in-house. For the Reshetnev Company it is a qualitatively new level of satellite production. In the assembly workshop the guests saw the process of installing solar array panels into the GEO-IK-2 satellite equipped with a Thales Alenia Space altimeter. In addition, the French delegation had an opportunity to see the small-sized satellite Yubileiny designed for carrying out scientific research and experiments as well as testing new solutions implemented by the Reshetnev Company. Then Jean de Gliniasty was shown around the mechanical test facility by Vladimir Mikhalkin, head of the department, who told about the unique features of the company’s experimental facilities. Thus, located as far as 3.5 thousand km away from the spaceport, the Reshetnev Company can perform a complete cycle of on-ground satellite testing to ensure satellite reliability and performance in space. In illustration of the company’s capabilities, different models of satellites and satellite parts prepared for testing were demonstrated to the French delegation, in particular, the combination of Loutch‑5A and AMOS-5 models built for a tandem launch test as well as models of the Express‑2000 satellite platform and Loutch‑5A’s foldable umbrella-type antenna. One of the most interesting moments of the excursion was the demonstration of the Glonass-K solar array panel deployment. The tour around the ISS facilities was followed by the company’s presentation at which, apart form the French Embassy delegation, there were representatives of Thales Alenia Space. Nathalie Smirnov, SVP System & Payload Telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space, mentioned in her speech: “Working together with the Reshetnev Company on advanced projects we rely on Russia’s space potential that is highly recognized worldwide as well as our country’s expertise in space technology and onboard equipment manufacturing. In the last 15 years our companies have established good relationships and developed a sense of teamwork, which is very important.
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Nikolay Testoyedov is demonstrating a satellite to the French Embassy delegation I think that the key to our further success is in our hands”. Speaking of Russian-French cooperation in satellite manufacturing Nikolay Testoyedov, ISS general designer and director general stressed the importance of the Ambassador’s visit to the Reshetnev Company, “We are pleased to see that our business contacts are encouraged
at diplomatic level”. Jean de Gliniasty, in his turn, expressed a high opinion of the Russian-French initiatives in satellite manufacturing. He also added that this cooperation must be developed and offered the Reshetnev Company to consider new possibilities of extending cooperation and production of highly competitive products.
Jean de Gliniasty and Nikolay Testoyedov
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Information Satellite Systems
Events
Information Satellite Systems
Glonass-К’s world premiere Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems showcased its latest achievements in communications and navigation space technology at the world’s largest international ICT exhibition CeBIT‑2011 held in Hannover, Germany, on 28 February – 5 March, 2011. The pride of the company’s exposition was the nextgeneration Glonass-K navigation satellite.
Heart of the digital world For the first time in the company’s history ISS‑Reshetnev participated in an exhibition playing a completely new role. At CeBIT-2011 the renowned Russian satellite manufacturer appeared not only as an exhibitor, bit also as an organizer of a joint exposition demonstrating achievements of other Russian space companies involved in satellite manufacturing: Lavochkin Association, Design Bureau Fakel, Izhevskiy radiozavod, NPO PM-Razvitie and Testing Technical Center-NPO PM. The participation of the space companies in CeBIT was not a coincidence. This year, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin’s flight into space, CeBIT organizers focused on the subject of space. The exhibition was held under the motto “CeBIT – heart of the digital world”. There is no doubt that cuttingedge space technology encourages the use of digital and telecommunications technologies in the socio-economic spheres of different countries. The CeBIT-2011 opening ceremony took place in the Hannover Congress Center on February 28. It was followed by an official reception organized on behalf of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Russian delegation was represented by Anatoly Shilov, deputy head of the Russian Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) and Nikolay Testoyedov, general designer and director general of the Reshetnev Company. The CeBIT-2011 event also attracted foreign space firms. At the invitation of the Reshetnev Company,
the exhibition was attended by the representatives of Thales Alenia Space (France), Jena-Optronik (Germany) and the Israeli service provider SPACECOMMUNICATION LTD., the customer of the AMOS 5 telecommunications satellite currently in production at ISS‑Reshetnev. Among other guests invited by the Reshetnev Company were representatives of two Russian companies – ARD Satcom Service and RTComm.RU. The sponsor for the joint Russian exposition was Ingosstrakh, a Russian insurance company.
Space exposition At CeBIT-2011 ISS‑Reshetnev had a 400 square-meter exhibition area in one of the two main pavilions. The centrally located stand gave the company a splendid opportunity to demonstrate the world community its latest achievements in the GLONASS program. The heart of the Reshetnev exposition was a full-size model of the next-generation Glonass-K satellite, the company’s recent breakthrough in navigation satellite technology. It is worth mentioning that the first Glonass-K satellite was launched on 26 February 2011, i.e. on the eve of the CeBIT exhibition. As well as the Glonass-K spacecraft, ISS‑Reshetnev showcased models of the Glonass-M, Loutch‑5A, AMOS-5, Express‑AM5 and Gonets-M spacecraft. On March 1, when the exhibition was open to the public, ISS‑Reshetnev,
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Information Satellite Systems
Events
Nikolay Testoyedov and Victor Khartov holding a press-conference Lavochkin Association and Izhevskiy radiozavod held presentations at the Russian exhibition stand. The companies’ heads told media representatives about their key focus areas and growth prospects. The presentations were followed by a pressconference of Nikolay Testoyedov, general designer and director general of ISS‑Reshetnev, and Victor Khartov, general designer and general director of Lavochkin Association. Nikolay Testoyedov told the press about the growth prospects of the GLONASS system up to 2020 as well as the nextgeneration Glonass-K satellite series. He emphasized that Glonass-K satellites would be created on a step-by-step basis due to their versatility and a large number of new devices to be used in this series. According to Nikolay Testoyedov, the Block II Glonass-K satellite is due for launch in 2013. Speaking of the satellites scheduled for launch in 2011, Nikolay Testoyedov stressed that the company’s volume of production had increased 6 times in the last 5 years, a fact proved by the increasing dynamics of satellite launches. ISS‑Reshetnev’s head also focused on the implementation of the international telecommunications projects: AMOS 5 being built for Israel, TELKOM 3 for Indonesia and Lybid for Ukraine. Victor Khartov, general designer and director general of Lavochkin
Association, told the press about their spacecraft being manufactured for scientific missions.
International conference The main event of the second day was the ISS-hosted international conference devoted to the most topical issues in satellite manufacturing as
well as international cooperation in this field. The conference was moderated by Nikolay Testoyedov, who also delivered a report on the company’s ongoing satellite projects, and GLONASS spacecraft in particular. In his speech Nikolay Testoyedov underlined that to improve the accuracy of the system, it was necessary to enhance not so much the orbital constellation as the
ISS‑Reshetnev’s presentation sparked keen interest
Information Satellite Systems
ground segment by deploying 10-12 ground stations outside Russia. In addition, ISS‑Reshetnev’s general designer presented the company’s unified satellite platform product line, the core of ISS satellites whose masses range from 800 kg to 3.5 tons. These platforms are equipped with unified avionics and launched by the same rocket type, which reduces costs and time expenditure on the manufacture of satellite service modules. The report by Fedor Sinkovsky, deputy director of the ISS‑Reshetnev Industrial Center of Large-sized Foldable Mechanical Systems, was about the use of carbon fiber structures (central isogrid tubes) in spacecraft. Such structures are cost-effective and besides, reduce satellite mass. Other advantages include relatively low mass (30-40 kg) and high strength. Indeed, carbon fiber satellite structures can withstand loads of up to several tens of tons. According to Fedor Synkovsky, such types of structures excel their foreign counterparts in many characteristics, in particular, they save mass (up to 22%) and costs (approximately 30%). Reports were also delivered by Victor Khartov, Lavochkin Association general designer and general director, Alexander Semdyanov, Izhevskiy Radiozavod chief technical officer, Omri Arnon, Spacecom vice-president for business development and strategy, Emmanuel Grave, vice president Telecommunications of Thales Alenia Space, and Alexander Podchufarov, vice-president of Ingosstrakh. An interesting report was made by Alexander Kiselyov, ARD Satcom Service general director. According to Kisilyov, ARD Satcom Service was completing the ground infrastructure facilities for the AMOS 5 and TELKOM 3 telecommunications satellites currently in production at ISS‑Reshetnev. The last speaker was Anatoly Shilov, deputy head of the Russian Space Agency. In his speech Mr. Shilov emphasized that participation in exhibitions like CeBIT was of particular importance for positioning Russian space companies in the world market. Mr. Shilov suggested that the next international space conference be held in Russia so as to have an additional platform for discussing results and prospects of space activities. On the same day ISS‑Reshetnev hosted a reception in the New City Hall in Hanover to celebrate the world
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Glonass-K’s mock-up enjoyed great popularity premiere of the Glonass-K satellite at the CeBIT- 2011 exhibition. During the exhibition days the ISS‑Reshetnev delegation held numerous business meetings. The company’s stand enjoyed great popularity with CeBIT visitors and guests. ISS‑Reshetnev’s satellite models, especially the mockup of the Glonass-K spacecraft sparked keen interest. According to Nikolay Testoyedov, ISS‑Reshetnev general designer and director general, an exhibition is a traditional venue of meetings with foreign partners; a
platform to showcase Russia’s space projects in telecommunications, navigation, etc. to all those involved in the ICT sector. Such events save money and time on the organization of business trips and meetings, which under other circumstances would require extra expenses. Therefore, the CeBIT-2011 exhibition for the Siberian manufacturer proved to be a fairly productive, cost-effective event. Based on Interfax ABH materials
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Information Satellite Systems
Cooperation
Science – Industry Alliance For the first time in its history Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems has hosted a visiting session of the Presidium of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The result of the two-day session was an agreement to extend cooperation between the satellite industry and science in the sphere of satellite manufacturing. The formation of a solid scientific base has been one of ISS‑Reshetnev’s key priorities since the company was established. As Russia’s leading satellite manufacturer, the Reshetnev Company cooperates with a number of Russia’s best national educational establishments and institutions in developing leading-edge satellite manufacturing technologies. The company employs over 50 candidates and doctors of science; more than 100 staff members are doing postgraduate research. Owing to this enormous scientific potential the Reshetnev Company is able to implement new technologies, apply modern materials and as a result, to build more perfect spacecraft. The company’s projects and achievements have sparked the interest of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS). During their visit to the Reshetnev Company the SB RAS delegates were shown around the company’s modern production and experimental facilities including the mechanical testing laboratory and satellite assembly area. Siberia’s
leading scientists expressed a high opinion of the Reshetnev Company’s scientific and industrial potential and unique satellite manufacturing technologies. They found the enterprise to have very good prospects both on a national and international scale. The joint session was chaired on the industrial side by Doctor of technical sciences Nikolay Testoyedov, general designer and director general of the Reshetnev Company, and on the scientific side by Academician Alexander Aseev, chairman of the SB RAS and vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences. As many as 20 reports were presented during the session by the Siberian scientists and ISS‑Reshetnev’s staff members on the status of the national space industry, its prospects and the latest scientific achievements in satellite manufacturing. Thus, in his report, Sergey Bagaev, director of the Institute of Laser Physics, covered the subject of systems required for the precise determination of antenna forms. Another report presented the results of a project dedicated to the
design of thermal stabilization systems with the use of nanotechnology. In addition, the two sides discussed some important questions which had to be solved to promote engineering efforts and improve the standards of design solutions as well as the competitive advantages of Russian spacecraft. The majority of spokesmen emphasized the idea that fundamental science and industry must cooperate more closely. ‘Today the enterprise has been set tasks of national importance. We have to carry out advanced projects whose implementation would be impossible without support from the institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences’, underlined Mr. Testoydov in his keynote speech. ‘It is very important for us to have this session at the renowned company which, as we can see, is developing so dynamically’, emphasized Alexander Aseev, chairman of the SB RAS, vicepresident of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ‘At the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences we realize quite clearly that science is really
Information Satellite Systems
needed only when it interacts actively with high-tech industrial enterprises. ISS‑Reshetnev is definitely one of them’. It must be noted that one of the ways of combining science and industry is by creating the technological platform “National Information Satellite System”, a program initiated and being coordinated by the Reshetnev Company. Approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, the program is aimed at the introduction of cuttingedge technologies into satellite manufacturing, systems and devices manufacturing as well as the space services sector. Being both a tool and a communications platform for innovative projects, the new technological platform will make it possible to combine efforts of the state, science, business and industry within the framework of the Russian economy modernization program. The expected results are an increase in the availability of spacetechnology products and, consequently, a wider range of services as well as product cost reduction. At the initial stage of the program the Reshetnev Company held a number of talks with the representatives of Russia’s scientific and educational establishments and won support from the country’s leading industrial associations engaged in satellite manufacturing. As a result, the National Information Satellite System project gained support from 17 Russian enterprises and higher educational establishments and 3 governors (Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, and Tomsk Regions). The project, thus, will facilitate the coordination of scientific and industrial efforts so much needed for further development of the country. As ISS‑Reshetnev is the only satellite manufacturing company located behind the Urals, it is of crucial importance for the enterprise to cooperate with the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in developing innovative solutions. The SB RAS has extensive capabilities, including 70 institutes, 9 scientific centers and, besides, good partnership relations with foreign and Russian universities. The Reshetnev Company has forged strong cooperation with a number of Siberian higher educational establishments. Still, there are a lot more opportunities left uncovered. The visiting session of the Presidium of the Siberian branch of
Siberia’s leading scientists on a tour round the Reshetnev facilities the Russian Academy of Sciences held at the satellite manufacturer’s, in fact, turned into a platform for discussing and exchanging ideas, which allowed the two sides to take a deeper look at the most important issues related both to science and industry. A tour round the Reshetnev facilities enabled the scientists to better understand which areas in the space industry would come into focus in the next few decades. ‘Our institutes continue to develop directions concerned with mechanics
of complex structures, new materials and nanotechnology’, summarized Alexander Aseev, chairman of the SB RAS, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ‘I am sure we will continue concentrating our scientific efforts on research and practical tasks which are central both to the space industry and the Reshetnev Company’. The result of the two-day work of the SB RAS visiting session at ISS‑Reshetnev became an agreement on cooperation between the two sides.
Chairman of the SB RAS Alexander Aseev showing an interest in ISS‑Reshetnev’s projects
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Information Satellite Systems
Projects
Digital television broadcasting: a new stage in the development The introduction of digital television into our country is getting a lot of attention of the President and Government of the Russian Federation. The new technology has already become widespread abroad. Russia’s full switch to digital television is planned for 2015. Digitalization is being introduced in stages, from region to region. However, its progress will be hindered if the communications industry does not re‑equip. An important step in this direction is to launch new telecommunications satellites. The implementation of the federal space program and the federal target program “Development of TV broadcasting in 2009-2015” provides for replenishing the Russian orbital fleet of telecommunications satellites
with next-generation satellites. The Reshetnev Company is now building two heavy-class satellites for the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC): Express‑AM5 and Express‑AM6. Besides, the enterprise
has commenced activities under a new order for three satellites – Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1 and Express‑AT2 to be based on ISS‑Reshetnev’s unpressurized medium-class satellite platforms. The new projects have been initiated to facilitate the development of the digital television broadcasting services market. The customer of the new satellites is RSCC. The tripartite contract for the design and manufacture of the Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1 and Express‑AT2 satellites was signed between RSCC, ISS‑Reshetnev and the French division of Thales Alenia Space in September 2010 in the presence of the Russian Minister of Communications Igor Shchegolev and Jean de Gliniasty, Ambassador Extraodinary and
Information Satellite Systems
Plenipotentiary of France to Russia. According to the terms of the contract the Reshetnev Company will design, manufacture, test, perform pre-launch preparations and deliver the satellites into orbit. Thales Alenia Space will supply the payloads. The Express‑AM8 spacecraft will occupy the 14°E orbital slot and have a lifetime of 15 years. The satellite will accommodate 24 active C‑band transponders to cover Europe, Africa and America, 16 active Ku‑band transponders to cover Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America, and 2 active L‑band transponders. The satellite is scheduled for launch in 2013. It is designed to provide services to Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America as well as ensure presidential and governmental communications in the Atlantic region. The Express‑AT1 satellite is based on ISS‑Reshetnev’s Express‑1000НТВ platform. The satellite will be positioned at 56°E to replace the Bonum-1 spacecraft. It will carry 32 Ku‑band transponders. The Express‑AT2 satellite will occupy the 36°E orbital slot to replace the W4 spacecraft. It will accommodate 16 Ku‑band transponders. Both satellites are scheduled for launch in 2013. They will provide coverage over the European part of Russia, the Urals and Eastern Siberia. Express‑AT1 and Express‑AT2 are designed to provide digital television broadcasting services and are expected to meet the demand of Russia’s DTH platforms. ‘Launch of the three satellites will open up new opportunities for developing HDTV and 3D television in Russia’, – said the RF Minister of Communications Igor Shchegolev. ‘It will provide digital television broadcasting and make state e-services
more available to people. With the aid of space technologies and communications we will be able to overcome “digital inequality” in the interests of our citizens.’ Yury Prokhorov, general director of the Russian Satellite Communications Company, during his visit to the Reshetnev Company also commented on the significance of the Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1 and Express‑AT2 programs, ‘The launch of the new satellites will mean growth and development for us. The large capacity of the satellites will allow us not only to replenish the orbital fleet, but also the orbital reserve, as well as set up new satellite communications channels.’ The new tripartite contract for the manufacture of the Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1 and Express‑AT2 satellites is a continuation of ISS‑Reshetnev’s strategic cooperation with the European company Thales Alenia Space. In the last 15 years the two companies have built together the SESAT telecommunications satellite for the international satellite operator Eutelsat; 4 Express‑A satellites and 7 Express‑AM spacecraft for the Russian Satellite Communications Company. At present ISS‑Reshetnev and Thales Alenia Space are hard at work on the AMOS-5 satellite being built for Israel and TELKOM-3 for Indonesia. Besides, the companies are cooperating in creating the data-relay spacecraft Loutch‑5A, Loutch‑5B and Loutch‑4 as well as the geodetic satellite Geo-IK-2. The cooperation of ISS‑Reshetnev and TAS in the new project confirms their successful partnership as well as the high quality of their products.
For reference: The Russian Satellite Communi cations Company, Russia’s leading satellite operator and one of the largest satellite service providers in the world, has been placing orders with ISS‑Reshetnev for over three decades. RSCC’s Gorizont, Ekran-M, Express, Express‑A and Express‑AM satellite series were all developed and manufactured by the Reshetnev Company. Under the contract signed in 2009, ISS‑Reshetnev is building two heavy-class satellites – Express‑AM5 and Express‑AM6 with lifetimes of 15 years. The satellites are based on ISS‑Reshetnev’s high-performance Express‑2000 platform. The program is being implemented in accordance with the Federal Space Program of Russia for 2006-2015 and the Federal Target Program “Development of TV broadcasting in 2009-2015”. ISS‑Reshetnev has been cooperating with Thales Alenia Space for almost 20 years. Thales supplied payloads for a number of satellites manufactured by the Reshetnev Company, in particular: Express‑A1, Express‑A2, Ex press‑A3, Express‑A4, Express‑AM11, Express‑AM22, Express‑AM2, Ex press‑AM3, Express‑AM33 and Ex press‑AM44. At present Thales Alenia Space is manufacturing payloads for the Express‑AM5 and Express‑AM5 satellites.
Based on the RSCC materials.
Express spacecraft specifications Spacecraft
Express‑AT1
Express‑ AT 2
Express‑AM8
Orbit
Geostationary
Geostationary
Geostationary
15 years
15 years
15 years
56˚E
36˚E
14˚E
Launch mass
1800 kg
1250 kg
2100 kg
Payload power
5600W
2850W
5600W
32
16
16
C‑band
-
-
24
L‑band
-
-
2
Designed lifetime Orbital position
Number of transponders Ku‑band
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Information Satellite Systems
Development
Production expansion – the demand of the present time The Reshetnev Company has decided to expand its production capacity due to a significant increase in the volume of in-house activities and the implementation of innovative satellite manufacturing techniques. The Siberian satellite manufacturer is increasing production. Satellites by ISS‑Reshetnev are becoming more and more sophisticated. The company is loaded up with work for a good many of years. ISS-built spacecraft upgrade Russia’s orbital constellation and perform navigation, geodetic, communications and other missions. The company is also engaged in a number of international satellite projects. Thus, ISS‑Reshetnev is the prime contractor for the TELKOM-3 satellite being built for Indonesia, the AMOS-5 spacecraft being manufactured for Israel and the Lybid satellite being made for Ukraine. As well as the increasing number of orders, ISS‑Reshetnev has to fulfill increasing satellite design and manufacturing requirements. In this
connection, the company’s top-priority objective is to rationalize the satellite manufacturing process by using the most up-to-date production technology and materials. The high rate of their development was a major determiner of changes in the company’s production
A large-sized foldable antenna in the AFD manufacturing facility
logistics, with the result that satellite production is now split into two segments –central and instrumental.
New production facilities A new production unit has been built within the central production segment to manufacture large-sized foldable reflectors and antenna-feeder devices (AFD). The need for the new facility was conditioned by the expansion of antenna production at ISS‑Reshetnev. Today the company is implementing several production lines for the manufacture of large-sized foldable antennas, Ka‑band precision antennas and contoured-beam antennas. That is why construction of modern technical facilities for AFD manufacturing is of crucial importance. Thus, a separate building has been erected for the manufacture of contoured-beam and precision antennas. It meets strict requirements for temperature and climate conditions. Another unique facility has been built for the manufacture of large-sized foldable spacecraft subsystems. The new facility simulates the space condition of
Information Satellite Systems
weightlessness to allow testing largesized foldable reflectors and antennafeeder devices. Production of mesh wire antennas has been launched in the assembly room. Besides, the company has built an electrochemical facility for galvanizing and varnish-and-paint operations. The new building satisfies all safety and environmental requirements and has the most advanced varnish-and-paint equipment and galvanizing production lines. The new electrochemical facility will allow ISS‑Reshetnev to implement the best practices and technology into the production process, including silver plating of waveguides and gold-plating of AFD elements. Thus, the intensive implementation of the antenna and galvanizing production programs has determined the need for the new production areas which are certain to bring the company competitive capability in satellite manufacturing.
Modernization of instrumentation production
Instrumentation for the central production segment is supplied by the company’s instrument and PCB shop and cables shop. The modernization of the two shops is gaining momentum. New equipment for making satellite instrumentation and printed circuit boards is being procured. In 2010 the company allocated 76 million roubles to the equipment procurement program. The newly acquired equipment has
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ISS‑Reshetnev specialists working in the cleanroom (Cables Shop) enabled ISS‑Reshetnev to significantly improve product quality and ensure high precision of printed circuit boards. The instrument and PCB shop is being modernized so intensively that in the future it is planned to expand its production area by building a new facility. Products manufactured in the instrument and PCB shop comply with international standards and receive high expert appraisals from ISS‑Reshetnev’s Russian and foreign partners. Besides, in the last few years the company has increased the production volume of satellite onboard cable systems (OCSs). This has given a further impetus to the development of this production line.
ISS‑Reshetnev’s new galvanizing facility
Now the cables shop is also undergoing modernization. OCSs are made on spacecraft simulators in a dedicated cleanroom that satisfies world-class standards. Owing to the improvements in the OCS manufacturing technology the Reshetnev Company has gained the advantage of reducing mass of cables systems as well as time of their production and assembly. The new method of making 3D cable networks will be used in ISS‑Reshetnev’s advanced satellite projects. The company’s extensive structural reforms are closely connected with the modernization of its production and experimental facilities and are caused by the company’s rapid advances in satellite design and manufacturing.
ISS‑Reshetnev’s unique AFD manufacturing facility
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Information Satellite Systems
Technology
Russia’s Ka‑band constellation development plan
The Reshetnev Company is Russia’s leading manufacturer of communications and TV broadcasting satellites. The enterprise is listed among the world’s top 5 satellite manufacturers of telecommunications spacecraft with the largest number of orders. Today, in accordance with the market demand, ISS‑Reshetnev implements Ka‑band satellite projects, which is a new trend in the development of satellite manufacturing.
The conquest of the Ka‑band After a definite decline in the development rate of satellite communication networks observed in 2003-2005, the demand for satellite systems has grown rapidly since 2007. Today it exceeds the supply both in the Russian and world markets. In this regard, Russia’s largest satellite operators RSCC and Gazprom Space Systems have
announced the launch of new satellite projects, such as Express‑AM4, Ex press‑AM5, Express‑AM6, Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1, Express‑AT2, Yamal‑300K, Yamal‑401 and Yamal‑402.
Advantages of the new band Taking into account that traditional frequencies such as C- and Ku‑bands are fully occupied, Russia is moving in the
direction of utilizing higher frequency bands. Thus, the best solution found for communications and TV broadcasting satellite systems is in the use of the Ka‑band (20 GHz / downlink and 30 GHz/uplink). Until now the utilization of the Ka‑band in the Russian Federation has been constrained by the country’s geographical position and climatic conditions. However, the use of atmospheric adaptive compensation techniques and high-performance
Information Satellite Systems
multi-beam antennas makes it possible to compensate for the shortcomings of this frequency band. The main benefits of the Ka‑band are as follows: 1. Increased bandwidth (1,5-3 GHz) in comparison with C- and Ku‑bands; 2. Ka‑band’s high frequencies make it easier to use high gain spot-beam antennas as well as onboard multiplebeam antennas so as to increase satellite EIRP and G/T; 3. The use of multiple spot-beam antennas in the space-based segment of communications and television broadcasting systems and frequency re-use in the beams of multi-beam antennas increase the effectiveness of spectrum utilization as well as the capacity of communications and television broadcasting systems.
Future satellite networks Ka‑band satellite networks will be deployed in Russia using RSCC’s orbital constellation. Express‑AM4 will be the first satellite to accommodate two Ka‑band transponders. Full deployment of Ka‑band communications and television broadcasting satellite systems is expected in Russia only after the launch of the Express‑AM5 and Express‑AM6 satellites being manufactured by ISS‑Reshetnev in cooperation with the Radio Research and Development Institute (Russia) and MDA (Canada). These satellites will carry 12 Ka‑band transponders and will provide coverage over the eastern and western parts of Russia using 10 spot beams of multi-beam antennas. The Ka‑band transponders will provide high power and a possibility of using low-power VSAT-based stations. The Express‑AM5 and Express‑AM6 satellites are based on ISS‑Reshetnev’s most powerful Express‑2000 platform. In addition to Ka‑band transponders, they will also accommodate standard C- and Ku‑band transponders.
Next steps Considering the benefits of the Ka‑band and the competition between satellite network operators for frequency resources, the use of the 40/20 GHz frequency range may be the next step in the development of satellite communication systems. This frequency band has been allocated to Russia for a number of orbital
Express‑AM5/Express‑AM6 specifications Spacecraft
Express‑AM5
Express‑AM6
Orbit
Geostationary
Geostationary
15 years
15 years
Orbital position
140˚E
53˚E
Station-keeping accuracy (longitude/inclination).
±0,05˚
±0,05˚
3270 kg
3270 kg
Ku‑band
40
44
C‑band
31
15
L‑band
2
2
Ka‑band
12
12
110W
110W
1 deployable threemirror antenna (each reflector is 1,2m in diameter)
1 deployable threemirror antenna (each reflector is 1,2m in diameter)
Designed lifetime
Launch mass Number of transponders
Transponder output power Antenna type
positions within the framework of TOP‑1M, TOP‑7M, TOP‑12M and other satellite networks. Of course, before the 40/20 GHz frequency band is made use of, a number of technical tasks will have to be solved especially those concerning: 44 GHz multi-beam antenna design; low-noise amplifiers development and manufacturing; low-loss passive antenna feeders manufacturing. Thus, the existing tendency in the development of modern technology gives an opportunity to find solutions to these tasks, and consequently, to
further the development of satellite communication and television broadcasting systems. Therewith, there will be new prospects for the Reshetnev Company in the manufacture of communications satellite. Yuri Vygonsky, chief satellite designer Dmitry Molchanov, head of Payload Design Laboratory Alexander Kapelko, engineer
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Information Satellite Systems
Technology
Contoured-beam antennas: from development to application
Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems has launched production of contouredbeam antennas. At present only a few manufacturers can supply this unique type of satellite antennas to the world market. ISS‑Reshetnev has pioneered this segment and is now intensively developing the new technology.
Modern satellite systems are required to provide global coverage to ensure continuous and reliable communications anywhere on Earth. This challenging task can be solved by both expanding the satellite fleet and augmenting satellite capabilities. One of the methods of increasing the efficiency of satellite communications systems is by forming a specific antenna pattern. For reference, the cross section of the main lobe of a simple antenna pattern is circular or elliptical, whereas the cross section of the main lobe of a contoured-beam antenna is of a desired shape, which means that its main beam can provide coverage over the required area. This is of deciding importance for customers with particular coverage targets.
The application of contouredbeam antennas is conditioned by the requirements aimed at improving the efficient utilization of a geostationary orbital slot allocated for servicing a number of large spaced-apart coverage zones. The advantage of contouredbeam antennas is that in such zones they offer the possibility of using the same frequencies without causing mutual interference. The first countered-beam antennas appeared in the 1970s; however, they came into wider use only in the 1990s. At present these high-tech products are manufactured by a limited number of aerospace companies in Europe (Astrium, Thales Alenia Space), Canada (MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation) and the USA (Alliant Techsystems).
Information Satellite Systems
Yamal‑300K’s beam ISS‑Reshetnev first procured contoured-beam antennas for its Express‑AM1 satellite series from Astrium. Then these products became regular onboard ISS‑Reshetnev’s subsequent Express satellite series. One of the most successful contoured-beam radiation pattern formation methods consists in the use of a mirror antenna with a shaped reflector. In 1990 the Reshetnev Company decided to launch its own production of contoured-beam antennas. The launch of the new production was split into several stages. At first a lot of effort was invested in developing analysis techniques and necessary software to conduct antenna characteristics analyses. In order to verify calculation data, a mock-up of a reflector had to be built. It was a rather challenging and expensive task, which required unique equipment, expertise and a sufficient number of specialists. That was why it was proposed to make a model reflector from plastic foam coated with foil paper. This original construction was used for taking all necessary measurements which, in fact, coincided with the design parameters. The subsequent reflector model was capable of operating in space owing to its radio-reflective surface made from gold-plated mesh with a carbon fiber rim. The 1,2 m antenna was designed to operate in the C‑band. The side benefit of the construction was the possibility of correcting the shape of the radioreflective surface if required. At the next stage it was crucially important to precisely shape the radio-reflective surface and verify
the correctness of the selected technological solutions and equipment. When developing accessories and jigs necessary for the production of a contoured-beam antenna reflector the Reshetnev team used fine-grain, high-strength graphite with unique thermal and mechanical properties, such as uniformity, specific resistance to heat and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Thermal tests conducted on the reflector showed that the designed parameters fully corresponded to the experimental ones. The next challenge was to increase the accuracy of treating the shaping equipment as well as the quality of the working surface and to develop the
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so-called “two-mesh” antennas with polarization structure. The work done was rather fruitful, generating some unique knowledge of how to make modern reflectors compliant with high engineering standards. Thus, for contoured-beam antenna production it is essential to have the following: modern equipment for measuring radio-technical characteristics, up-to-date materials with proper mechanical and physical properties, modern analysis techniques and special technological equipment for polymerization. Besides, the reflector manufacturing technique requires adherence to polymerization modes. The main feature of contoured-beam antenna production is that it is not of a series character; every antenna is a unique tailor-made product. At present the Reshetnev Company is building the Yamal‑300K satellite for Gazprom Space Systems which will accommodate ISS‑Reshetnev’s two Ku‑band contoured-beam antennas. Contoured-beam antenna manufacturing is an important task being performed by the Reshetnev Company. The new technology enables the enterprise to build more perfect spacecraft. Moreover, the company is ready to provide its high-tech contoured-beam antennas for other satellite manufacturers. Gennady Shipilov, deputy head of Antenna Systems and Payload Assembly Department
A contoured-beam antenna reflector
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Information Satellite Systems
Technologies
Design Center – the future of ISS‑Reshetnev’s satellite equipment production The necessity for improvement of satellite onboard equipment alongside with its cost reduction has set a new task for the Reshetnev Company’s equipment manufacturing division – to create unified electronic modules for satellites. Responsibility for this promising direction will rest with ISS‑Reshetnev’s dedicated Design Center scheduled to commence activities in 2015. The creation of the industrial center for the system-level design of modular communications & navigation equipment is provided for in the federal target program ‘Development of the electronic component base and radio electronics’ set for 2008-2015. The necessity of new solutions is dictated by the present time. On the one hand, spacecraft requirements are getting tougher, and so satellites are becoming more complex. On the other hand, the market demands that satellite mass and cost be reduced. To combine these contradicting requirements and make satellites lighter, cheaper and at that, more sophisticated is a real challenge which can be solved by introducing optimally designed and thoroughly tested structures. It must be mentioned that in the period of the rapid growth of electronic component manufacturing device engineers had to invest a lot of effort into mastering the process of designing electrical assemblies of onboard equipment using microelectronic integrated circuits (MICs). The mass use of MICs led to serious structural and technological changes. It became necessary to master the techniques of printed circuit board design and manufacturing as well as methods of assembling planar-mounted electronic devices. Hence the new strategic course – standardization of design solutions as the most effective way of reducing personal workloads while accelerating the terms to increase the effectiveness of the production process. With allowance for today's condition and capabilities of the national microelectronics industry and the necessity of meeting modern requirements for onboard equipment,
Radio navigation computer the structure of new modules will be developed on the basis of the electronic component base implemented “on a chip”. A system-on-chip is when an integrated circuit performs the function of an entire device having a processor, a memory block, peripherals and interfaces. The final configuration is programmed by the user to meet a specific target. The processor core performs flow control when the sequence of data processing
operations is set uniquely by each managing program, thus assigning one of the possible operation algorithms for the whole integrated circuit. The memory is used for its intended purpose – to store the processor core program code and data. A real system-on- chip consists of the three above-mentioned elements, which excludes the use of numerous separate integrated circuits as well as the necessity for interfacing them.
Information Satellite Systems
ISS‑Reshetnev’s specialist working in the PCB shop Such unified modules are expected to appear at ISS‑Reshetnev in 2013. Theу will enable the company to shorten the satellite manufacturing cycle and reduce satellite equipment mass, which will lead to significant improvements in satellite characteristics. Another advantage is that the introduction of new modules will reduce personal workloads and ground verification time, which will make ISS‑Reshetnev’s spacecraft more attractive for government customers and foreign partners. Thus, creating sophisticated integrated circuits – systems-onchip is becoming a priority to be implemented by highly qualified teams. SoC production will be set up at the subcontractors’, with ISS‑Reshetnev’s Design Center being responsible for the design of such systems and components
implemented ‘on chip’ as well as for programming and assembling microelectronic devices. It must be noted that the SoC design technology will be implemented using both very-large-scale integrated circuits (VLSIC) and programmable logic integrated circuits. The design process is rather complicated, expensive, time- and labour-consuming. VLSIC production implies a series character and, thus, is economically attractive for customers. The largest manufacturers of programmable logic integrated circuits have already declared intentions to launch SoC device manufacturing. However, none of them has launched a real general-purpose product which would have memory blocks, a processor and programmable logic device all ‘on a chip’.
A mock-up of modern radio navigation equipment made ‘on chip’
The creation of the Design Center of electronic module production will allow the Reshetnev Company to solve some other tasks as well, in particular: to verify operational onboard equipment software by means of mathematical models; to develop mathematical models for electronic components, functional assemblies, units and onboard equipment; to conduct a full cycle of qualification tests on unified modules of advanced satellite onboard equipment. Within the scope of the Design Center establishment program, a number of leading universities of Tomsk (Tomsk State University, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics), partners of the Reshetnev Company, will have developed a methodology of manufacturing electronic modules in compliance with ISS‑Reshetnev’s Technical Design Assignment by 2012. Meanwhile the company will be busy tooling up its facilities and installing the necessary equipment and software as well as providing working places for the manufacture and testing of new products. Ready-to-use modules of onboard electronic equipment made ‘on a chip’ are scheduled to appear at ISS‑Reshetnev in 2013. Vitautas Zubavichus, deputy head of Radioelectronics & Satellite Control Systems Design and Test Department Sergey Suntsov, head of Onboard Radioelectronic Equipment Structures Engineering Department
Installation of integrated circuits into a printed circuit board
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Information Satellite Systems
Projects
Satellite pre-launch preparation One of the Reshetnev Company’s latest achievements is the development of the satellite pre‑launch preparation technology to enable pre-launch testing at launch sites in the shortest time and in a cost-effective way.
ISS‑Reshetnev has been carrying out pre-launch preparation operations at spaceports since the first years of the company’s formation. Reshetnev engineers carry out final satellite tests before integrating a satellite with its launcher as well as fuelling spacecraft. Until 1994 satellite electrical tests performed at the launch site had duplicated factory acceptance tests and required rather expensive and space-consuming equipment. Taking into account that different types of satellites needed different types of test equipment, spending on the deployment of technical site facilities as well as their assembly, equipment and maintenance was comparable with the expenditure on satellite manufacturing. Thus, it was crucially important to optimize the pre-launch preparation system. A solution was found after conducting a detailed satellite performance analysis. It was discovered that satellite electrical testing done at the launch site did not help anyhow to detect defects in satellite onboard equipment and take adequate measures to increase satellite in-orbit reliability. When the idea of conducting satellite electrical testing at the launch site was rejected, a new technology was developed.
Realizing the idea The new idea was first realized at the Baikonur launch site in 1985 during the pre-launch preparation of the Strela communications satellite whose subsystems were tested without running standards checks on their switching-on capability. The spacecraft was successfully delivered into orbit and demonstrated failure-free performance over its whole lifetime. This experience was made use of and developed in the mid 1990-s, when economically hard times hit both the country and the Baikonur spaceport. The new method of shortened satellite pre-launch preparation was based on the concept of transferring most of test operations from the
technical launch site facilities to the satellite manufacturing plant. To that end, the Reshetnev Company reorganized the satellite manufacturing process. As well as that, there were parallel activities going on at the cosmodromes aimed at updating the pre-launch preparation procedures and ground equipment. Thus, some unique equipment items were created, such as a satellite handling dolly, a system simulating the conditions of weightlessness for checking solar panels and a compact assembly for autonomous feeding of xenon storage units. The use of the handling dolly, for instance, made it possible to replace the massive old equipment and achieve economy. Satellite delivery methods were also changed. Special climate-controlled containers were developed to ensure proper climatic conditions and reduce mechanical stress on satellites during transportation. Besides, within the framework of the new technology implementation, a unified technical complex (UTC) was created to carry out satellite prelaunch preparations. The complex includes a worksite with a cleanroom, a fuel station, technical facilities and systems. The first UTC, Т727, was built at Baikonur in 1999. It was used to test and prepare for launch Express and Express‑A satellites. The positive effect of the new technology implementation was recognized by the European organization Eutelsat. The new prelaunch preparation technology was used in the international satellite program SESAT (abbrev. for SiberianEuropean Satellite) launched in April 2000. The satellite is still in orbit
Emplaning a container with a satellite performing its mission successfully. It was ISS‑Reshetnev’s first international project in which the company managed to demonstrate the ESA and its foreign partners successful pre-launch preparation without conducting electrical testing at the launch site. Later the same method was used for the pre-launch preparation of the Express‑AM spacecraft. Today ISS‑Reshetnev has set up two more UTCs at Baikonur and Plesetsk analogous to T727. These are UTC 14P510 and UTC 14P511. Both complexes have been used for the preparation of more than 40 satellites, including Gorizont, Ekran, Molnia, Meridian, Glonass-M and many others. UTC 14P510 was used for the pre-launch preparation of the nextgeneration Glonass-K navigation satellite launched in 2011. If slightly upgraded the unified technical complexes can be used for advanced satellites, including Yamal‑300K, AMOS-5 and TELKOM-3 currently under construction by ISS‑Reshetnev. Thus, the successful in-orbit performance of Russian satellites confirms the effectiveness of the shortened pre-launch preparation technique developed by the Reshetnev Company.
Effects of implementation Now that the new technology has been implemented, the UTCs can carry out the required minimum of satellite pre-launch preparation operations and, at that, ensure the target level of reliability. The pre-launch preparation encompasses satellite inspection after transportation, satellite integration with the upper stage, checks on satellite electrical circuits inside the fairing as well as battery charging. Now that the volume of on-site work has been reduced the Reshetnev Company can send fewer specialists to provide technical assistance at the launch site. Spending on the production and transportation of onsite test equipment has also gone down because, before shipping satellites to the launch site, the company performs satellite tests by means of the same equipment which is used in the satellite manufacturing process. The advantage of the new prelaunch preparation technology is the promptness with which repair work is done when onboard equipment malfunctions during electrical testing. This promptness is achieved due to the availability of the necessary tools and technical and human resources at the manufacturing plant. While implementing the new satellite pre-launch preparation technology at the launch sites ISS‑Reshetnev’s specialists managed to solve many complex technical problems, which became possible owing to the high scientific potential of the Reshetnev team. The originality of the idea and the successful implementation of the technology enabled the Reshetnev Company to use the achieved results in the manufacture of advanced satellites with lifetimes of 10-15 years. The scientific novelty, practical applicability, high technical levels and reliability make the pre-launch preparation technology developed by the Reshetnev Company one of the latest achievements in the conquest of space.
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Information Satellite Systems
History
ISS‑Reshetnev’s contribution to manned cosmonautics It is 50 years since the first manned flight into space. Yury Gagarin’s “Poyekhali” (Let’s go!) pronounced at the lift off from the Baikonur spaceport on April 12, 1961 made history. The legendary spaceflight that opened a new page in the conquest of space was also an important event for the Siberian satellite manufacturer.
Today the Reshetnev Company manufactures communications, navigation and geodetic satellites. ISS‑Reshetnev’s product line also includes data-relay satellites of the Loutch series, the company’s contribution to manned cosmonautics. The first Loutch satellite was built in 1985. Its launch enabled the Russian cosmonauts living aboard the orbiting Mir space station to have telemeetings with the mission control center as well as their families and friends. The Loutch satellite was also used to connect a German astronaut who was living at the ISS to his compatriots. Besides, Loutch was used to control the lift off and landing of the Buran space shuttle. To perform its mission, the Loutch spacecraft accommodated large foldable antennas with receive/ transmit equipment and had ultraprecise attitude control. Special algorithms were developed to control the satellite and point its onboard antennas to the Mir station as well as software for tracking the Buran space shuttle. The Reshetnev Company was also engaged in the Buran program. By that time the enterprise had accumulated a wealth of experience of making sophisticated spacecraft mechanisms. In the early 1980-s the creators of
the Buran space shuttle asked the Reshetnev team to develop and manufacture pneumatic control units for their space shuttle. These units were more complicated than those made for satellites. Yet, the Reshetnev team was inspired by the mission and completed the task successfully. After five years of hard work the Reshetnev team made a complete pneumatic control unit designed to run for 105 space flights. Buran went for its first and, at the same time, last unmanned flight on November 15, 1988. Then, in the period of economic hardship, it was no longer
used. Nevertheless, by taking part in the Buran program, the Reshetnev Company laid the groundwork for further innovations. Today ISS‑Reshetnev continues to build satellites and satellite systems to provide information support for manned and unmanned spacecraft. The next-generation Loutch data relay satellites – Loutch‑5A, Loutch‑5B and Loutch‑4 currently under construction by ISS‑Reshetnev will provide communication capabilities for the International Space Station as well as low-flying spacecraft.
Information Satellite Systems
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Information Satellite Systems
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