Reshetnev company information satellite systems no 15 2012

â„–15, 2012

Achievements in Science – progress in space

Информационные спутниковые системы

Dear colleagues, Spacecraft manufacturing business and the latest scientific achievements are inextricably linked. At some historical moment ISS-Reshetnev arose in the result of a merger of a design bureau and a mechanical plant; this merger played a significant role in ISS-Reshetnev’s development and determined its high positions in the present-day world. This combination of science and production enables the company not only to stay at the forefront of the Russian satellite manufacturing industry, but also take its place among the world’s leading providers of spacecraft.

Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems does its business in cooperation with leading research and education institutions of Russia. It helps the company attract top-level specialists and realize the country’s full intellectual potential in order to fulfill business goals and objectives. At that, the Reshetnev Company is aimed at the development of its own scientific resources – the number of engineers who hold science and academic degrees is increasing. So, approximately one-third of the overall number of postgraduates, working currently for the ROSCOSMOS enterprises, are employees of the Reshetnev Company, whose studies and inventive work are focused on solving practical problems of satellite manufacturing.

International practices and global cooperation are known to be the building blocks for the successful development and growth of the aerospace industry.

So, when working on implementation of the innovative solutions, ISS-Reshetnev takes advantage of recent achievements of both national and foreign partners.

Based on that, the company delivers reliable spacecraft for many purposes: communications, data-relay, navigation, geodesy, as well as research satellites which play an important role in the development of our modern society.

General Designer and Director General of Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems

Nikolay Testoyedov

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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 � Mayya Korotkova Contributors � Anastasia Chernyatina � Victor Dobryayev � Alexander Filyushin � Evgeniy Golubev � Vladimir Khalimanovich � Konstantin Kozyrev � Vladimir Mikhalkin � Denis Nikolayev � Ivan Perepyolkin � Valentin Rayevskiy � Nikolay Testoyedov � Alexander Velichko Translator � Olga Bychkova Photo � Vlada Mineeva Design � Maxim Mikhalchenkov Published by Information Satellite Systems 2012 Information period: August 2012 – November 2012 For details please contact: pressa@ISS‑reshetnev.ru http://www.ISS‑reshetnev.com tel: +7 (3919) 76-45-25 No unauthorized photocopying

New Spacecraft for Russian Satellite Fleet

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Science is Vital to Technology Development

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Competition as a Guarantee for Development of Russian Telecommunications Industry

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Liberalization of the Aerospace Market

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ISS‑Reshetnev – Driving Force behind Innovation Cluster

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ISS‑Reshetnev in Space Research Projects

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Using Ka-Band: Components of Success

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New Capabilities of Satellite Manufacturing

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Automated Test Systems Developed by ISS‑Reshetnev

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ISS‑Reshetnev's Inventions for Multipurpose Use

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Potok Satellite – ahead of its Time

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Long-Livers in Orbits

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Information Satellite Systems

Achievements

New Spacecraft for Russian Satellite Fleet On November 3, 2012 two satellites, designed and built by Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, augmented the national orbital constellation. The data-relay satellite Loutch-5B and the telecommunications spacecraft Yamal-300K were successfully launched in a dual-payload mission from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The tandem launch was performed within the framework of the Federal Space Program for the years 20062015. The tandem launch scheme has been applied for putting pairs of ISS‑Reshetnev-made middle-class spacecraft into orbit since last year.

Yamal-300K and Loutch-5B, being housed one upon another under the Proton-M vehicle’s fairing, successfully separated from the Breeze-M upper stage less than 15 minutes apart.

Yamal-300K is intended to provide communications, television broadcasting and high-speed Internet access services to users across Russia.

It is the first spacecraft that was built by the Reshetnev Company for the national satellite operator Gazprom Space Systems. Being based on the advanced middle-class Express‑1000H platform, Yamal-300K accommodates 26 C- and Ku-band transponders. The remarkable fact is that initially the operator planned to order two different satellites from another manufacturer to ensure the necessary capacity.

However, ISS‑Reshetnev came up with a project of a satellite capable of carrying all 26 transponders on board, and ultimately the company was chosen to construct the Yamal-300K spacecraft.

Working within the frame of the project, the two companies – Gazprom Space Systems and Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems were not just a customer and a contractor, but they also acted as partners. The prime customer was tasked with the design and delivery of the payload, onboard control equipment and systems for the ground control segment.

While ISS‑Reshetnev, in its turn, was responsible for the development and manufacture of the satellite platform and for some components of the payload module as well.

Loutch-5B is the second satellite of the multifunctional data-relay system

Loutch, which is deployed under the contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency. The system is designed to provide real-time communications between ground stations and loworbiting spacecraft, launching vehicles, their upper stages and the Russian segment of the International Space Station. In addition to carrying out their target missions, data-relay satellites will broadcast signals to correct measurements obtained by GLONASS navigation satellites, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of the constellation. Besides, the two spacecraft – Loutch-5A which was placed into orbit in 2011, and Loutch-5V which is currently under construction at ISS‑Reshetnev, will be also used to receive and relay COSPAS-SARSAT signals and meteorological data.

Launch, deployment of mechanical structures and the orbit acquisition phase of the Yamal-300K and Loutch-B spacecraft were monitored from ISS‑Reshetnev’s Information Computation Center.

The first

communications session, held shortly after the upper stage released the satellites into orbit, showed that all initial telemetry data was good and the launch was declared a success.

Prior to the launch specialists of the Reshetnev Company thoroughly practiced all satellite control operations.

For this purpose they used missionoriented dynamic simulation software which enabled them to model and analyze satellites’ behavior in space.

Once Yamal-300K was put into orbit, ISS‑Reshetnev team embarked on controlling the satellite from the customer’s mission control center. The Loutch-5B spacecraft is operated by a joint group of specialists from the Reshetnev Company and TSNIIMASH. The satellites are planned to be moved to their designated orbital slots to deliver the operational service by the end of 2012. Once their readiness to provide services is verified, operational control for Yamal-300K and Loutch‑5B will be finally handed over to their customers.

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Science is vital to Technology Development Satellite manufacturing is one of those industries where science is a matter of greatest importance and plays a vital role.

It’s impossible to produce competitive products using manufacturing resources only, there is a critical need for continuous research and innovative technologies.

Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems has always assigned high priority to conducting thorough dedicated research. Having developed from a division of the Experimental Design Bureau №1, the enterprise from the very inception has been focused on beneficially combining science, education and industry. And to the present day this trilateral alliance is still a source of a substantial competitive advantage and success for ISS‑Reshetnev. Today the company carries out about 15 research and development (R&D) projects to advance spacecraft manufacturing and space technology.

Scientific potential Every satellite is a result of painstaking efforts and huge intellectual potential. So as to say, there are 11 Doctors of sciences and more than 50 PhD degree holders at ISS‑Reshetnev. In late 2011 Nikolay Testoyedov, Doctor of Engineering, General Designer and Director General of the Reshetnev Company, has been elected as a corresponding member into the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Recognition he has received from the scientific community is a kind of a guide to the level of research work at the enterprise as a whole. In 2011 an agreement, covering issues related to

cooperation between the company and academia, was signed by ISS‑Reshetnev and the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Signing of the document took place within the visiting session of the Siberian branch that was hosted by the Reshetnev Company.

Leadership and efforts of young employees in carrying out research and advancing science are also highly praised. At present 15 ISS‑Reshetnev specialists are holders of scholarship of the President of Russia. The scholarship is awarded to them in recognition of their outstanding achievements.

ISS‑Reshetnev does its best to give the employees opportunities of developing their scientific and research potential. There is the Scientific and technical council at the enterprise, which is chaired by Nikolay Testoyedov, General Designer and Director General.

In addition to that, the company

specialists annually take part in a broad number of Russian and international conferences. The international scientific conference “Reshetnev Readings”, held jointly by ISS‑Reshetnev and Siberian State Aerospace University, is one of them. The event is dedicated to the memory of academician Mikhail Reshetnev, the founder and the first director of the company. The conference covers a wide range of issues addressing the design, manufacture and testing of spacecraft, as well as satellite control operations.

The company offers a number of postgraduate training programs to enable its specialists to deepen their skills and knowledge in various areas which are of high importance for ISS‑Reshetnev. As of today, more than 100 specialists of the company are undertaking postgraduate studies, accounting for one third of the total

Information Satellite Systems

Scientists and public authorities at the exposition organized by the Reshetnev Company at the Krasnoyarsk research center (Siberian branch of RAS) number of people in Russia who combine work at space industry enterprises with postgraduate studies. The Reshetnev Company provides incentive schemes to foster and promote research activities.

Those ISS‑Reshetnev specialists aged under 40 who defend a PhD thesis receive a lump sum payment of 150000 rubles.

As well as that, PhD degree holders and Doctors of sciences are paid monthly increments and can take additional paid leave to carry out research. Besides, those experts who hold a science degree are more likely to get a promotion. It’s also very important that ISS‑Reshetnev specialists choose research subjects with regard to the most topical issues of the department they work at. In other words, young specialists get the chance to develop both personally and professionally, while the company then can implement solutions developed specifically in accordance with its needs.

In 2011 ISS‑Reshetnev specialists were introduced one more opportunity to improve their skills. Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems and Siberian State Aerospace University (SibSAU) concluded an agreement, according to which the company shall compensate its employees for 50% of the money that they spend on the new master degree program

“Aerospace company management”.

This program was specially developed for people working in financial and economic fields in the aerospace industry. Ten ISS‑Reshetnev specialists have already commenced attending the course. It will take two years to complete the program. They will have to carry out thorough research, write and defend a thesis to earn a master’s degree. It is expected that training programs of this kind will be developed for ISS‑Reshetnev’s engineering specialists as well.

Cooperation with universities Long-lasting stable relationships between ISS‑Reshetnev and Siberian State Aerospace University have been proved over decades since the time when they were both established.

This university, which is named after academician Mikhail Reshetnev – the founder and the first director of the company, is the main partner for ISS‑Reshetnev at specialist training programs. With the help coming from

Thesis defense at one of ISS-Reshetnev’s departments

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Vladimir Khalimanovich, director of ISS-Reshetnev’s Industrial Center, giving a presentation at the "Reshetnev Readings" conference the enterprise, SibSAU established the Industrial Resource Center “Spacecraft and space systems” to make educational programs even more efficient. An engineering model of the Cosmos-SH satellite was designed at this center.

ISS‑Reshetnev in concert with SibSAU has built small research satellites Yubileiny and MiR to test an array of some new instruments and recentlydeveloped technologies. ISS‑Reshetnev experts take active part in a broad range of activities at the university – they give lectures, assist students at laboratory experiments and practical classes, and also supervise term papers and thesis projects. Four ISS‑Reshetnev experts run four departments at SibSAU. Nikolay Testoyedov, director of the company, is one of them.

ISS‑Reshetnev also has tight links with Siberian Federal University (SFU): runs and takes part in numerous training and education programs developed specifically by the enterprise and the university, provides state-ofthe-art facilities to make the learning process more interactive and effective as well as to ensure hands-on experience, etc. Yet, the Reshetnev Company cooperates with SFU not only in the field of specialist training and professional development, but also they implement joint projects addressing various aspects of spacecraft manufacturing. In particular, the tandem of the enterprise and the university has led to the organization of a number of computer work stations intended to check out parameters of pneumatic automation and electromechanical devices. As well

as that, the partners worked on design and production procedures for smallsized drives with high load capacity.

The Reshetnev Company has teamed up and is currently working with Siberian Federal University on leadingedge technologies that can help increase wear-resistance of mechanisms’ friction units under the extreme space conditions (vacuum, wide temperature ranges). Results of this work are likely to facilitate further research and provide understanding of requirements which are crucial for mechanisms

Reception of the MiR satellite data at the Mission Control Center of SibSAU working in cryogenic environments.

With this in view, a special system for vacuum-plasma hardening of metal parts and structures was designed, and it is to be utilized mainly for plasma-ion doping of mechanisms’ drives.

Working on research and development projects ISS‑Reshetnev closely cooperates with other leading Russian universities as well. For instance, research projects implemented in tandem with Baltic State Technical University facilitated the development of a baseline methodology of testing high-capacity electromechanical devices.

Universities of Tomsk provide various services under agreements with ISS‑Reshetnev – from material engineering to the development of unified modules for spacecraft instruments which use the systemon-a-chip technology. Apart from that, Tomsk Polytechnic University manufactures various dedicated systems which enable the Reshetnev Company to move forward with the development of its highly promising technology – thin film coatings. The Reshetnev Company also implements a number of research projects in tandem with Tomsk State University and Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics.

Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk State University and Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics assist ISS‑Reshetnev in implementing an R&D project titled “Development of methods, means and a technology of computer-aided design and control, as well as the manufacture of a computing unit for the on-board control system”, ordered by the Federal Space Agency. Solutions which are developed within the frame of this R&D project are then employed in advanced pro­ ducts to undergo ground verification.

All these activities are carried out to enable companies of the real economy grow, develop, amass leading-edge solutions and technologies, as well as to create “a bank of promising ideas and solutions”. Substantive and profound research into technologies and production processes which is very difficult for enterprises of the industry to carry out, will yield results which then can be used as a powerful instrument for the production of highly competitive advanced satellites and space-related products.

ISS‑Reshetnev specialists cooperate not only with those universities which specialize in space technologies. For instance, experts of the Reshetnev Company and Kosygin Moscow State Textile University teamed up and developed a unique technology of plating a mesh made up of a 15-micron-

Information Satellite Systems

diameter wire with gold. The Reshetnev Company has close links with foreign research and educational institutions, Ukrainian and German ones among others.

ISS‑Reshetnev continuously expands cooperation with educational institutions, particularly with the Siberian ones, since the company runs a number of programs in cooperation with universities and subcontracts R&D work to them. And these winwin relationships are indeed mutually beneficial as ISS‑Reshetnev enjoys custom-made solutions for its most topical issues, while researches can have their recent developments adopted in real high-technology manufacturing business.

Far-sighted programs Another way through which ISS‑Reshetnev cooperates with academia is the participation in the federal technological platform “National information satellite system”. It represents a splendid opportunity for research organizations, government departments and industrial companies to cooperate and consolidate efforts for achieving the mutual goal, which is, according to the platform’s name, is to deploy and develop space telecommunications systems in the interest of Russia.

Nowadays this technological platform is one of the means that help provide a comprehensive range of services such as broadband internet access, personal satellite communications, multichannel television and many others as for civil users and for the RF Ministry of Defense as well. More than 50 scientific institutions, companies and organizations of the Russian aerospace industry have joined hands and started cooperation within the frame of this project. Building up of the platform is supported by official authorities, governors of the Novosibirsk, Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk regions in particular.

The Reshetnev Company is also a participant of the regional techno­ logical platform called “Information, communications and space techno­ logies for the innovative development of Siberia”. This platform was initiated by SibSAU. The main purpose of this project is to develop and research innovative technologies that would benefit the GLONASS navigation system as well as digital communications so as to

Presentation of ISS-Reshetnev’s technological platform at the Open Innovations Forum facilitate the development of highend products and services in the space and telecommunications sectors. The platform is designed to bring together organizations and companies which are interested in and committed to applying new technologies in spacecraft manufacturing in order to effectively develop the aerospace industry in Russia.

Work at the cutting edge of space technology and satellite manufacturing itself call for long-term research into a large number of areas. That is the reason why the Reshetnev Company has established the Center of Exploratory Studies. This ISS‑Reshetnev subsidiary was officially included into the Skolkovo participant list in June 2012.

So to say, the Skolkovo Foundation and Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems signed a cooperation agreement in summer

2011. The recently-established Center of Exploratory Studies is expected to become a place for testing new methods and approaches to developing advanced technologies which then can be used at ISS‑Reshetnev. Owing to the status of a Skolkovo participant, the Center of Exploratory Studies also received means of attracting investment – grants awarded by the Skolkovo Foundation, tax breaks, customs privileges and access to a wide range of free services among others. Besides, the center’s experts will provide longrange technology foresight (with long time horizons of 20-30 years).

Research activities and scientific work at ISS‑Reshetnev will further play a pivotal role in the development of technologies and space products and will ensure Russia’s position at the forefront of the world aerospace industry.

Visitors get acquainted with recent developments of the Reshetnev Company in material engineering

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Competition as a Guarantee for Development of Russian Telecommunications Industry

Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems is known to be a significant player in the satellite communications market since those early days when this sector was in its infancy in Russia. Over these years the company has manufactured more than 1200 spacecraft intended to provide television, radio and other telecommunications services.

As customers’ requirements for communications satellites are getting more stringent, ISS‑Reshetnev, having moved to a new level, stands at the forefront of modern technology. The enterprise, by cooperating with leading Russian and foreign companies, has considerably increased technical specifications of its satellites.

One of the top five

In order to evaluate a company’s position in the market, it is sufficient to analyze its place among leading businesses in the sector. Over the last five years ISS‑Reshetnev has been ranked in the top five largest space­ craft manufacturers by the number of telecommunications satellites construction contracts. Today the enterprise ranges among such world giants as the American companies Space Systems/Loral and Boeing, and

ISS-Reshetnev’s Loutch-5A and AMOS-5 satellites at the cosmodrome European corporations EADS and Thales. At present ISS‑Reshetnev has a full order book and is currently manufacturing the Express‑AM5, Express‑AM6, Express‑AT1, Ex­ press‑AT2 and Express‑AM8 satellites for the national operator RSCC (Russian Satellite Communication Company) as well as Yamal-401 for Gazprom Space Systems. Apart from that, the Reshetnev Company has built satellites for Israel and Indonesia; spacecraft that were ordered by Kazakhstan and Ukraine are under construction now.

Efficiency improvement Large operators such as RSCC, Intelsat, Eutelsat and SES nowadays move towards purchasing satellites built around heavy-class platforms, which are capable of providing enough energy to power a large number of transponders. Usually

operators expand their orbital sources by means of Ka-band. The fact that Ka-band transponders are added to the already installed C- and Ku-band ones results in the increase in satellite weight and power requirements.

Here again, there is a need for more sophisticated antenna-feeder devices and more precise pointing accuracy.

Nowadays, for the reason that satellites are built to carry out their mission in some dedicated orbital position, they carry contour-beam antennas only. This is true for all spacecraft regardless of the country where they were designed and constructed. At the same time conventional launch vehicles do not offer increased lift capacity for heavier satellites which carry additional transponders. Historically, in Russia a so-called “direct-injection” method of putting spacecraft into orbit has been applied, which means that satellites are delivered to the designated orbital

Information Satellite Systems

position by means of a booster’s upper stage and then they are ready to undergo flight tests or carry out their mission. In case when there are no apogee motors (which are widely installed on foreign satellites), larger payloads can be delivered to space by means of inserting satellites into the geostationary transfer orbit. In this case a spacecraft is transferred to the geostationary orbit with the help of a low-thrust electric propulsion engine. It takes a satellite 60 to 120 days to reach its final destination. This approach allows building satellites which are several hundreds of kilograms heavier, thus providing more capacity for the payload. ISS‑Reshetnev intends to pursue this strategy in future projects to make communications satellites missions even more effective.

Advanced platforms In order to evaluate competitiveness of a company one needs to consider several factors such as a satellite’s technical characteristics, its reliability, production time and overall cost.

Offering spacecraft that meet all present‑day requirements which include but are not limited to those mentioned above, the Reshetnev Company secures its place among world leaders. The situation has not been the same all the way before.

The Russian Federal Space Agency has played a crucial role in pursuing these objectives by implementing farsighted strategies and financing the development of the advanced satellite platforms Express‑1000 (middle-class) and Express‑2000 (heavy-class) over the past 10 years. Both of them turned out to be highly popular, especially in the domestic market. The main reason for such popularity is that, as a matter of fact, there were no heavy-class platforms in Russia until recent time.

As for the Express‑2000 platform, it is designed to supply payload with 12.1 kW of power at the end of its 15‑year life. But spacecraft based on the Express‑1000 platform, in their turn, generated even more interest.

Satellites of this series weigh about 1.8‑1.9 tonnes and provide up to 6 kW of payload power. Such an efficient powerto-weight ratio enables using heavy-lift Proton boosters’ capabilities to the full extent. Up today ISS‑Reshetnev has gained experience of dual launches of middle-class spacecraft which proved to be highly cost-effective.

Russian or western?

It needs to be mentioned that satellites built around these new platforms have their other performance characteristics increased as well, particularly reliability, active life span, station-keeping accuracy and some other parameters. Nevertheless, quite a paradoxical situation arises, because satellites as a whole are on a par with their outstanding foreign counterparts while some equipment or components fall well behind. It explains why advanced high-power spacecraft that are built around our platforms include a large number of imported products from electro-radio components to various dedicated instruments. In this regard apart from enterprises which are part of our cooperation, we have close business links with a number of foreign companies. For instance, our satellites employ lithium-ion batteries provided

by Saft and star sensors delivered by Sodern. Heterostructures which are used in Russian-made solar cells are imported from abroad as well. At the same time national manufacturers of products of this kind do a lot to develop and move forward. Russian companies specializing in the production of solar panels purchased reactors to further develop the technology and as a result it enabled them to produce products with efficiency almost equal to their foreign counterparts.

Apart from that, Russian equipment makers also invest great efforts into the improvement and development of instrument manufacturing. Once Russian enterprises learned how to produce lithium-ion batteries, one of the companies that are part of the

Express‑2000 platform integrated structure Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, having a clear understanding of the current situation and recognizing the necessity of entering the market, developed and manufactured electronic control units for storage batteries at its own expense. It means that Russian companies are gradually becoming capable of producing energy supply subsystems on their own. In order to increase the amount of work to be undertaken by Russian companies under satellites contracts, we assigned tasks of this kind to other manufacturers of components. It’s worth mentioning that recently-developed solutions will be installed on satellites, provided that they have successfully completed ground tests and acquired flight heritage aboard other spacecraft as a proof-of-technology experiment.

To date some types of onboard instruments and equipment are very difficult to procure from national companies, whilst some items simply

Contour-beam antenna for a communications satellite

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integrated the payload module of the telecommunications spacecraft Yamal‑300K on its site in cooperation with Gazprom Space Systems. All these facts show clear evidence that the Russian spacecraft industry is well on its way to increasing the national components’ take in advanced satellites.

Competition

Payload module structure of the Express‑AT1 spacecraft aren’t manufactured in Russia. This is the reason behind why today we work over the issue concerning the creation of a joint venture for the production of payload instruments with our long-standing trusty partner Thales Alenia Space. At the current stage of development the Reshetnev Company assigns high priority to the design and manufacture of satellite payloads.

We have already obtained positive results in this area of activity. Payload module structures for the data-relay satellites Loutch-5A and Loutch-5B were integrated and test-verified at our enterprise. Besides, ISS‑Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems

Yamal-300K satellite in the assembly facility

The current situation in the marketplace shows that satellite operators and spacecraft manufacturers try to achieve slightly different objectives. They have one task in common – to satisfy users’ expectations and needs. Unfortunately, when it comes to the second task our roads part here. As for satellite operators, they provide services to users and that’s all, while spacecraft builders need to constantly develop and maintain the high level of performance and technological development in the industry for the benefit of national defense capabilities and economic independence of Russia. The fact that the orbital fleets of national satellite operators consist predominantly of spacecraft manufactured in our country is the right fact and it’s the policy of the state which is an effective regulator in this matter. At the same time the use of foreign-made satellites is acceptable in some situations, for instance, when

Russian manufacturers do not work with Ka-band. Anyway, the availability of foreign satellites in orbits is a powerful stimulus to the development for spacecraft manufacturers. It is that competitiveness, which, according to Karl Marx, is the driving force behind the industrial development. If we faced no competition from other manufacturers, we probably wouldn’t develop at such an intensive pace, wouldn’t create joint ventures and offer cutting-edge products even with the use of foreign-made components.

ISS‑Reshetnev, constantly competing directly with leading western manufactures, operates both in the domestic and international markets.

It enabled us to win 4 tenders held by foreign companies over a four-year period. But at the same time a number of satellites ordered by Russian operators are being manufactured abroad. This is what healthy and fair competition is about. Constantly developing, investing money in research projects, signing contracts with both national and foreign customers, the Reshetnev Company not just satisfies users’ needs and provides services through satellite operators but also ensures economic independence of Russia.

Nikolay Testoyedov General Designer and Director General of ISS‑Reshetnev

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Информационные Information Satelliteспутниковые Systems системы

Кооперация Strategy

Liberalization of the Aerospace Market On August 22, 2012 Russia was officially welcomed to the World Trade Organization, becoming its 156th member. This achievement ended 18 years of negotiations on Russia’s entry to the WTO. It was a long road for the country, but these persistent efforts can be explained by an array of expected gains from membership of the organization, which will ensure long-term economic growth in the country. Russia’s accession to the WTO will in one way or other impact all its industries, and the satellite manufacturing sector is no exception.

No country in the world can live isolated from its neighbors and not interacting with them. As for hightechnology manufacturing sectors, it is also true. Nowadays many presentday advancements of the space industry are the results of cooperation between various countries in technical and scientific areas. ISS‑Reshetnev, being one of the leading Russian and one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of telecommunications satellites, has already gained experience operating in the international market.

It is remarkable that when Russia commenced negotiations on the accession to the World Trade Organization, our company started cooperating with its first strategic foreign partner. Teaming up with the European company Thales Alenia Space (TAS), ISS‑Reshetnev has developed over 15 spacecraft, and about 10 satellites are in varying stages of production at the moment. Of course, TAS is not the only foreign company that Information Satellite Systems has robust business links with, but it represents an outstanding example of effective global-scale cooperation.

Laws of development are the same for everybody, and when Russia started moving towards a market economy the need for removing administrative barriers in trade between countries and companies became obvious.

Certain steps, facilitating cooperation between ISS‑Reshetnev and companies of the European aerospace industry, were made: in accordance with intergovernmental bilateral agreements the Reshetnev Company has already imported products needed for the manufacture of satellites from France, Germany and Italy free of duty. But apart from these European

ISS-Reshetnev constantly purchases equipment from foreign suppliers companies ISS‑Reshetnev cooperates with other foreign partners as well.

Global market integration is well under way and Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems will further broaden the geography of its cooperation, it’s just a matter of time. Russia’s accession to the WTO is expected to play a certain role in this issue.

In acceding to the World Trade Organization Russia signed a series of important documents, including the schedule of specific commitments and the schedule of concessions and commitments on goods. In the context of the space industry the documents provide information, according to which after full implementation of its WTO accession commitments, Russia’s 5 per cent tariffs on imported spacecraft components will be abolished. Taking into account the fact that ISS‑Reshetnev uses imported products such as batteries, AOCS instruments and repeater equipment, it can be concluded that these goods, being imported on a duty-free basis, will lead to some reduction in spacecraft’s cost and thus provide additional competitive advantages.

Reduced customs duties are also anticipated to affect positively the joint venture of ISS‑Reshetnev and Thales Alenia Space. The memorandum concerning the JV was signed by the two parties in November 2011. Scope of activities will include the manufacture and assembly of payloads, using imported components. Tariff-free import of these parts will lead to lower

The WTO was established on January 1, 1995 to succeed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which had been in force since 1947. The organization was formed to liberalize trade and provide a forum for governments to negotiate trade-related issues.

Information Satellite Systems

The World Trade Organization headquarters are located in Geneva.

The organization has 157 member countries, including Russia and the European Union among others.

Work with a radio-altimeter delivered by Thales Alenia Space payload costs in particular and ready satellites as a whole.

Step by step, tariffs on imported electro-radio components will be reduced from 10 per cent and will be finally bound at zero within the next 3 years. It’s a known fact that commercial communications satellites which are produced by Russian manufacturers have quite a large proportion of foreign-made components. And for ISS‑Reshetnev reduced tariffs on imported electronics mean reduced cost of satellites, which will make them more attractive for customers. It’s worth mentioning that cooperating enterprises whose equipment and on-board instruments the Reshetnev Company purchases for its spacecraft also use imported electronic components.

Experts and industry observers say that enhanced availability of

foreign electro-radio components will be a powerful spur to the development and more effective work of national electronics manufacturers. However, the situation is rather ambiguous, as Russia’s electronics industry lags behind those of other countries for some intrinsic reasons. But still, the aerospace sector may fairly expect manufacturers of electro-radio elements to come up with unusual ideas and solutions which could change the situation in the industry for the better.

Moving to an open market which is more accessible to foreign companies has another side as well. Prior to accession to the WTO Russia levied 20 per cent tariffs on satellites that were imported abroad. With new customs duties being brought to a low level of 10 per cent, entry into the Russian market is becoming more feasible and beneficial

for foreign satellite manufacturers, particularly from the USA, China and Europe. Accordingly, national companies which develop and build satellites will have to more fiercely compete for contracts awarded by Russian satellite operators. At the same time Russian producers of satellites and space-related products will enjoy open access to the international market, and on the whole Russia’s accession to the WTO is believed to help create a favourable investment climate and increase confidence among foreign customers.

Given the high position of ISS‑Reshetnev in the world satellite market (to date 3 spacecraft have been manufactured for foreign customers and another 2 satellites are currently in production), it can be anticipated that Information Satellite Systems, despite certain risks, will face stiffer competition with confidence.

And this confidence builds on the company’s proven business links with international aerospace community, world-class project management as well as constant modernization of facilities and splendid opportunities for professional development.

Batteries provided by Saft (France)

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Информационные Information Satelliteспутниковые Systems системы

Кооперация Development

ISS‑Reshetnev – driving force behind Innovation Cluster

Nowadays ISS‑Reshetnev, entering new markets and increasing production, aims to attract other advanced companies specializing in the manufacture of space-related assemblies, instruments, materials and satellite components. The goal can be attained through participation in the innovation cluster.

As one of the major and largest enterprises of the town, the Reshetnev Company will play a key role in getting the Zheleznogorsk-located hightechnology cluster off the ground. The cluster project gained high appraisals from experts at the Ministry of Economic Development and was short-listed among other projects from Saint-Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Samara, Saratov, Dubna and Kazan.

The innovation cluster represents a model of a state-private partnership where the great emphasis is put on the cooperation between businesses of different types of ownership in

inter-related industries. At that, some companies will be customers of some kind of products, while the other firms will supply them. The cluster is innovative in nature as it will embody businesses that will pay much attention to research and development (R&D) work. And one of the integral requirements that cluster tenants have to meet is the large number of technological innovations adopted in production. Yet, investments and government assistance in the form of subsidies, tax breaks and other incentives are needed to enable these advanced solutions to modernize economics and provide higher living

standards. Such support helps sciencedriven companies grow, succeed and ultimately meet expected business goals.

The key element of the cluster will be the industrial park which will become home to approximately 50 new technology-driven businesses. In the process of developing the cluster project ISS‑Reshetnev put forward various proposals on how to better develop the future industrial park, which companies it should include. More specifically, there is a need for firms that specialize in engineering and mechanical solutions and instruments. As for mechanics, the

Information Satellite Systems

Model of the industrial park’s building Reshetnev Company plans to order the manufacture of high-precision parts including automation units, antenna pointing systems and drive mechanisms.

It is also expected that within the park it will be possible to manufacture printed circuits, repeater equipment, as well as to assemble and test satellite payload modules. Payload production is one of the promising development directions that ISS‑Reshetnev is currently pursuing. The company has already gained some experience in the design, integration and testing of satellite payloads. Setting up a joint venture between ISS‑Reshetnev and the European company Thales Alenia Space will become important impetus to the further development and expansion of these activities. The Memorandum concerning the JV was signed by the two parties in November 2011.

Long-standing relationships of the Reshetnev Company with leading research and educational establishments of the region will also be of great importance to the process of developing new innovations. In particular, the following ISS‑Reshetnev partners will enter the cluster: Siberian Federal University, Academician M.F. Reshetnev Siberian State Aerospace University and the Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

It is worth mentioning that participation in the innovation cluster implies taking part in international projects and delivering high-technology products to the global marketplace.

The Reshetnev Company is currently undertaking several projects under contracts with foreign companies. In this regard Vadim Medvedev, Mayor of Zheleznogorsk, said “The fact that

ISS‑Reshetnev wins international tenders indicates that the Zheleznogorskbased innovation cluster is, without doubt, highly competitive. And therefore, Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, being one of the prime customers, acts as a magnet to attracting potential partners to the area”.

International cooperation and business contacts that the Reshetnev Company has established with manufac­ turers and suppliers of satellite-related radio electronics, materials and onboard instruments will also play a significant role. Many years of good, solid relationships with these firms open up great opportunities for ISS‑Reshetnev to conduct negotiations about potential joint ventures to be set up in the territory of the industrial park.

It is anticipated that in the long term the innovation cluster will include

companies that deliver high-technology products which ISS‑Reshetnev at present is forced to purchase in other regions of Russia. Proximity of production sites to the customer will help achieve satellite cost reduction owing to supply chain optimization and streamlined manufacturing.

Development of innovative businesses under the cluster project will help its tenants, and the Reshetnev Company in particular, foster higher levels of productivity and increase competitiveness of ISS‑made spacecraft.

The Ministry of Economic Development received a total of 94 applications from different regions of the Russian territory. Experts selected 13 innovation cluster projects which will receive federal funding. The funds will be distributed over the coming ten years to support the infrastructure development activities for the Zheleznogorsk-based industrial cluster: construction of roads, utilities systems and additional power facilities as well as realization of sustainable housing projects.

Development of smalland medium-sized businesses within the industrial park is considered to benefit both the town and the region as it will facilitate creating new jobs, increasing assignments to the budget, and infrastructure modernization.

Together with the increase in housing construction these factors will result in higher living standards in Zheleznogorsk and strengthening its positions as a technological and industrial center of the Krasnoyarsk region.

This is how the industrial park’s territory is going to look like

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Information Satellite Systems

Projects

ISS‑Reshetnev in Space Research Projects While the Reshetnev Company designs and builds communications, navigation and geodesy satellites, it also takes part in long-term advanced research and development projects. Today ISS‑Reshetnev moves forward to further developing this promising direction.

Information Satellite Systems for a number of years has been a co-contractor to the Lavochkin Association (Khimki, Moscow region) under several programs implemented within the framework of the Federal Space Program for the years 2006-2015.

When working on research satellites, ISS‑Reshetnev shares experience in the field of mechanical structures and solar panels manufacturing.

ISS‑Reshetnev developed antenna drives and solar panels for the meteorological spacecraft Elektro-L No.1, which has been operating in orbit since January 2011. Structures of the same kind are currently being manufactured at the Reshetnev Company for the second satellite of the series. The Lavochkin Association and Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems signed an agreement for the production of an autonomous navigation system which would enable Elektro-L No.2 to precisely determine its position in orbit.

Meteorological satellites of the Elektro-L series are intended to provide data for Roshydromet (The Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring) to be used for weather analysis and forecasting on a regional and global scale, as well as for monitoring the oceans, the ionosphere and the Earth’s magnetic field. Collected data help choose the most efficient routes for aircraft and ships, facilitate environment monitoring and support emergency relief efforts.

Space observatory Millimetron ISS‑Reshetnev specialists also take part in the Elektro-L No.1 satellite control operations, communicating with it using the telemetry, command and ranging system (TC&R) Klyon-Elektro, which is located in the company’s territory.

Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems manu­ factures antenna drive mechanisms, solar panels and their rotators for a number of other research spacecraft as well: Spektr-RG, Spektr‑UF and LunaGlob. Satellites, and especially research ones, are highly expensive products; the development of scientific spacecraft is a very lengthy and meticulous process, and it calls for numerous tests to be conducted on satellite models. To testverify antenna drive mechanisms their mass-size and thermal models are used. Customers use mass-size models when conducting vibration testing to ensure structures’ integrity and stiffness. A thermal model of a drive is used when testing satellite

models to gain knowledge on how harsh thermal conditions of the space environment impact spacecraft. And only when positive results are obtained the Reshetnev Company embarks on manufacturing flight antenna drives which will then operate aboard satellites in orbit.

Solar panels for research satellites are manufactured by ISS‑Reshetnev in cooperation with Saturn (Krasnodar) and other companies of the integrated structure of ISS‑Reshetnev: Research and Production Enterprise of Space Instrumentation Industry “Kvant” (Rostov-on-Don) and Research and Production Enterprise “Kvant” (Moscow).

Mechanical systems have always been ISS-Reshetnev’s strong point.

And it’s no surprise that the compa‑ ny is subcontracted by other space‑ craft manufacturers to deliver its reliable products.

Information Satellite Systems

Working with a drive of the Spektr-RG satellite’s highly-directional antenna

Participating in projects for the development of research and applications satellites, the Reshetnev Company gains an opportunity to test and verify current technologies and at the same time implement absolutely new solutions.

Spektr-RG is a space observatory designed to make observations of the universe in Gamma-ray and X-ray spectral wavelengths. The Spektr-UF spacecraft will help study chemical and physical properties of comets and planetary atmospheres, including planets around other stars at ultraviolet wavelengths. As for the Luna-Glob, it is being built for the exploration of the Moon.

ISS‑Reshetnev manufactured solar panels and a highly-directional antenna drive for the Fobos-Grunt and Spektr-R satellites. The space observatory Spectr-R has been successfully carrying out its mission since 2011. The space program which is being implemented with the help of this observatory has already yielded some results to be analyzed by astrophysics. This space observatory has as its primary mission the exploration of the deep space utilizing the radio wavelength portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, including such objects as neutron stars, quasars, pulsars, black holes and interstellar plasma.

It is planned that other satellites produced by the Lavochkin Association will proceed with exploration of the universe within various wavelength ranges. The Reshetnev Company is expected to manufacture solar

batteries and autonomous navigation systems for the two of these spacecraft.

These projects are currently under development. Mechanical systems have always been ISS‑Reshetnev’s strong point. And it’s no surprise that the company is subcontracted by other Russian spacecraft manufacturers to deliver its reliable products. The autonomous navigation system is a unique development of the Reshetnev Company, and it has been installed on Russian satellites over the previous five years.

Having accumulated unparalleled experience in the design and manufacture of its own satellites, the Reshetnev Company now uses it while working under another research project – a space observatory Millimetron.

According to the terms of the contract, ISS‑Reshetnev is tasked with the development and manufacture of the payload. Besides a telescope with a 10-meter foldable mirror which is the observatory’s key element, the payload includes the thermal control system and numerous mechanisms.

The task represents quite a challenge for the ISS‑Reshetnev specialists, as they have never had to deal with such sophisticated science-oriented issues.

Accordingly, a need for extensive experimental work, fundamentally new research and design solutions, unique materials and methods arises if all the structural and operational requirements for the payload are to be satisfied.

The Reshetnev Company is taking part in the Millimetron project at the invitation of the Astro Space Center of Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the prime contractor under this research project.

Thermal model of the Millimetron spacecraft’s passive thermal system The space observatory Millimetron was ordered by the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) for astrophysical exploration utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum including millimeter, sub-millimeter and infrared wavelength bands. The spacecraft is expected to provide scientists with unique information on the global structure of the universe, the structure and evolution of galaxies, their nuclei, stars and planetary systems as well as organic compounds in space.

Participating in projects for the development of applications satellites as well as research ones, the Reshetnev Company gains an opportunity to test and verify current technologies and at the same time implement absolutely new solutions. It helps ISS‑Reshetnev to win new contracts as well as to develop research and scientific potential of its employees.

Solar panels of the Elektro-L spacecraft

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Technologies

Using Ka-band: Components of Success Antennas are integral parts of spacecraft’s payloads. They are intended to receive and transmit data, and this is the main purpose behind launching satellites in orbit. Given the rapid development of information technologies in our society, spacecraft manufacturers face the necessity of conducting cutting-edge research into new technologies in order to meet higher requirements for antenna quality and performance.

It is commonly known that the amount of data or information transmitted by a satellite depends on its antennas’ wavelength. Today Kaband is becoming increasingly popular in the aerospace industry. Benefits of operating at the Ka-band frequencies include shorter wavelengths, increase in data transmission rates and the amount of information transmitted, which therefore enable users enjoy better services. Besides, many satellite operators today make the shortwave frequencies a key element in their expansion strategies since the current spectrum allocations at C- and Ku-bands are quickly becoming overcrowded. The further development and widespread use of Ka-band services in Russia will facilitate higher availability of satellite communications services.

As of today, Russian-made satellites in most cases carry Ka-band payloads delivered by foreign companies.

Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems is one of the few national enterprises that focus on developing Ka-band antenna technologies. The company has already produced several reflector prototypes made of polymer composite materials. The results obtained under test procedures on these prototypes fully comply with specifications stated in design documentation. However, ISS‑Reshetnev specialists admit that not all problems have been solved yet, but the most important thing is that a lot has been done to facilitate further development of this highly promising technology.

Ka-band antenna reflectors must exhibit increased tolerance to a large number of factors which are not so critical when dealing with other frequencies. In particular, these antennas must meet much stricter rigidity requirements while operating

At present the majority of Russian-made satellites carry Ka-band antennas delivered by foreign manufacturers in orbit. Ka-band antenna reflectors must satisfy the following criteria: high geometric accuracy of surface, resistance to thermal gradients, high electromagnetic energy reflection coefficient, light weight and increased stiffness. That is why it was not possible to move ahead with the development of advanced Ka-band technologies without help from material engineers working at the Reshetnev Company. Advanced high-modulus carbon fiber which is used for the manufacture of antenna reflectors meets all the requirements specified above. However, development engineers face the necessity of being very scrupulous in the choice of materials for antenna support structures to ensure required highprecision reflector accuracy. Suffice it to say that successful manufacture of Ka‑band reflectors is greatly affected by the geometric accuracy of a mandrel used for composite lay-up.

Work with advanced materials calls for

thorough research and ensuring proper polymerization modes.

The quality of radio-reflective coating also has a great impact on the reflector’s efficiency. A need for ultrathin three-layer coatings arose when new reflector prototypes were under development. The reflective surface of reflectors was then achieved.

The first layer ensures proper adhesion and matching coefficients of thermal expansion of carbon fiber and the metal core, the second layer is radio reflective and the third layer is a protective one.

The core layer of the reflector has a thickness of about 1 to 3 microns, which is 10 times thinner than a human hair, while the thickness of the adhesive and protective layers is 100 to 200 nanometers. The benefits of using radio-reflective coatings developed by ISS‑Reshetnev include the possibility of using various reinforcement schemes for carbon fiber without signal energy loss. To be able to apply coatings of this

Information Satellite Systems

kind, the Reshetnev Company signed a contract with Tomsk Polytechnic University under which the university was responsible for the manufacture of a vacuum coating system and dedicated equipment. Tailored to the needs of ISS‑Reshetnev manufacturing, it enables the company specialists to work with reflectors up to 3 meters in diameter obtaining a uniformly thin coating.

As the tests on antenna reflectors were advancing, ISS‑Reshetnev specialists developed new equipment that helps detect the slightest changes in shape and dimensions, as well as to resolve them. Based on a laser tracker, a specially-developed measuring tool can detect deformations in the order of hundredths of a millimeter under thermal-vacuum conditions. It helps ensure that high-precision reflectors are manufactured in accordance with all technological standards. The new measuring methodology can be applied at various stages of spacecraft production: from ground experiments to in-flight quality assurance. A device which was developed to measure thermal deformation of reflectors can be also implemented for working with other satellites’ structures including antenna panels. In addition to that, the laser measuring system is used to define hygroscopic deformation of carbon fiber.

This material is sensitive to the moisture in the air and once exposed to the space

Vacuum coating system environment, it looses the water and causes dimensional changes in antenna reflectors.

Like any other mechanical structure of a spacecraft, Ka-band antenna reflectors undergo acoustic, vibration and rigidity tests within the ground experimental phase.

ISS‑Reshetnev specialists obtain valuable knowledge and expertise in the new reflector technology using prototypes measuring 2 meters in diameter or more. The work with largesized reflectors requires developers to be highly qualified and skilled. It’s worth saying that this kind of products is highly popular today, as the larger the antenna aperture the greater the gain. Antennas of this type result in increased efficiency and performance of users’ transmit-receive devices.

At present ISS‑Reshetnev experts continue working to improve technical characteristics of reflectors and also try out new lay-up methods for highmodulus composite materials. The Reshetnev Company specialists plan to have developed and test-verified some more types of Ka-band antenna reflectors by the end of this year.

By implementing its latest hightechnology solutions and products in the spacecraft production, Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems can not only take one more step towards using the extremely popular and promising frequency band, but also make additional profit from future projects with Russian and foreign customers by increasing its own workload under spacecraft projects.

Measurement of thermal deformations of a Ka-band reflector model

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Technical re-equipment

New capabilities of Satellite Manufacturing A new production complex has been recently commissioned at Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems.

It enables machining and measuring of large-sized parts of unpressurized spacecraft based on the heavy-class Express‑2000 platform.

The manufacturing complex includes a machine tool delivered by the Spanish company Soraluce and a coordinate measuring machine provided by the international corporation Nikon Metrology.

The new high-precision Soraluce milling center is a custom-built item, manufactured for the Reshetnev Company with regard to specific properties of spacecraft parts. It can be applied for large-scale machining of structures up to 10 meters long.

Such big structures are integral part of modern high-power satellites which are the most popular space products both in the domestic and international marketplaces, that is why the Reshetnev Company currently adopts and further expands their production.

The new machine tool meets all aspects required in high-technology manufacturing and allows ease of operation. The large stationary base enables specialists to assemble and prepare satellite structures right before machining, whilst a rotary chair with a 60 tonnes load capacity helps considerably reduce time which is spent on moving large-sized spacecraft parts from one place to another.

The new equipment has many advantages over the one which is currently used at ISS‑Reshetnev, as it offers more high-speed and highquality machining. The Soraluce tool allows machining of parts at an angle of up to 0.001˚. This feature enables the company specialists to

Soraluce milling center manufacture not only flat structures with even surface, but complex-shaped foldable assemblies as well – such as antenna masts or antenna deployment elements. A high-speed head making up to 18000 revolutions per minute allows instantaneous machining of structures, thus reducing processing time by half. ISS‑Reshetnev is the only company in the Russian space industry that has purchased such a high-class center. Weighing more than 200 tonnes, it is the largest machining center currently available at the Zheleznogorsk enterprise.

The first structure that was processed by the new piece of equip­ ment was the EQM of a honeycomb panel intended for the Express‑AM5

spacecraft. As of today, this structure, being over 5 meters long and about 3 meters wide, is the largest assembly unit of ISS‑Reshetnev-built satellites.

When machining of the honeycomb panel was completed, ISS‑Reshetnev specialists checked the physical geometrical characteristics of the workpiece using the new coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The Reshetnev Company purchased this equipment from Nikon Metrology to manufacture advanced large-sized spacecraft. As well as that, there is another machine that was supplied by this company 9 years ago, and over these years the equipment proved to be highly reliable and efficient.

One of the main differences between

Information Satellite Systems

the new one and the old one is the increased capacity, which is sufficient to fit the size of large objects such as honeycomb panels which can be up to 6 meters long, antenna profiles and other satellite structures that have sophisticated shape. The new CMM will also help decrease time needed for

method helps substantially reduce the time required to manufacture parts.

The CMM of the previous generation can determine coordinates of 1000 points in an hour, whereas the new machine with a laser scanner captures dozens of millions points over the same period of time.

for high-capacity satellites. Apart from that, ISS‑Reshetnev team took part in installation and commissioning procedures of the new manufacturing center together with the representatives of Soraluce and Nikon Metrology.

The company purchased the stateof-the-art machining and measuring

Measuring of geometrical parameters of a reflector by a coordinate measuring machine

By utilizing the recently-purchased center, ISS-Reshetnev will further develop manufacturing technologies of large-sized satellite structures. determining coordinates of the shapegenerating tools. The unique equipment works in various modes and enables measuring structures with accuracy to 4.5 microns. In contrast to the previous machine the new CMM supports noncontact scanning. In this case a probe, which is attached to the machine’s moveable arm, slides over the surface of a workpiece acquiring larger point clouds and generating high-accuracy measurements. Such a scanning

It is highly important to ensure proper temperature and humidity levels if obtained data is to be of maximum accuracy. For this very purpose the room, where the center is stationed, was equipped with a climatecontrol system. It helps maintain humidity within a 20-80% range, the temperature does not rise above 22˚С.

ISS‑Reshetnev specialists under­ took courses organized by the supplier companies to gain a thorough overview and to get acquainted with working with the new equipment. They also learned how to write programs for these machines as well as developed a deeper understanding of leading-edge technologies which are applied in the manufacture of large-sized structures

center with the view of technical re-equipment and modernizing the manufacturing facilities.

These issues have always been a keystone at ISS‑Reshetnev and ensured sustainable development of the company. With this purchase the company gained the capability to considerably decrease labour intensity, develop promising technologies in the field of satellite manufacturing and increase production capacity.

By utilizing the recently-purchased center, ISS‑Reshetnev will make a new step into developing manufacturing technologies of large-sized satellite structures, and this development direction is central to aerospace industries both in Russia and abroad.

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Engineering solutions

Automated Test Systems Developed by ISS‑Reshetnev

Electrical tests of the Express‑AM5 spacecraft’s service module

Every satellite prior to launch must undergo a series of tests to confirm its proper operation and readiness for the mission. In fact, spacecraft are generally tested within the frame of standard experiment programs, but checkout of each satellite, though, has its own distinctive features.

This is explained by the fact that satellites have different functional specifications. Therefore, in different tests there is a need for different equipment.

One of the unique solutions implemented by ISS‑Reshetnev for the ground experimental testing is the automated test system (ATS).

This complex is an integral part of the facility where integration, complex, thermal (including thermal balance and thermal vacuum tests) and highfrequency electrical experiments are carried out. The complex comprises:

basic test system; interface equipment (between a spacecraft and control equipment); cable network; software.

The automated test system developed by ISS-Reshetnev is characterized by a high degree of automation (when compared to similar equipment available at

other companies). Registering all operations and results obtained within continuous measurement of hundreds of parameters, the system helps ensure full control and analysis of experiment data in the process of testing and upon its completion.

ISS‑Reshetnev has been consistently developing and gradually increasing the degree of automation of test complexes

Information Satellite Systems

by applying recent advances in computer technology and software engineering.

An automated test system that is similar to the present-day ones was developed by the Reshetnev Company in the 1990s. The complex was utilized to test the Siberian-European spacecraft SESAT – the first ISS‑Reshetnev-built satellite with an active life span of 10 years. That is to say, the spacecraft has already exceeded the anticipated service life for two years. Spacecraft of the Gorizont and Express series also were among early ISS‑Reshetnev’s satellites that underwent verification with the help of automated test systems.

As of today, the company utilizes over ten ATS. Some instruments and tools which are to be used in automated test systems are delivered by partner companies, so there is a need for ISS‑Reshetnev experts to conduct incoming inspection.

Over the past four years the Reshetnev Company has been using systems of the TEST-2402-01 type as a basic test complex, which were provided by Holding «Informtest» (Zelenograd, Moscow region). This basic complex incorporates an instruction control unit, a control unit for discrete-time signals and analog parameters (voltage, resistance, etc), as well as some other units enabling data interchange with a spacecraft.

Basic complex of ATS At the same time the majority of interface equipment (various units, the cable system, converters) are created by the Reshetnev Company in-house. While the basic elemental

Parameter measurement during electrical tests blocks in these automated test systems are standardized, interface units are developed and manufactured by ISS‑Reshetnev specialists individually for each satellite. For instance, under the Express‑AM5 project Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems organized a new workstation dedicated to electrical testing of this spacecraft.

While working on the automated test system for the Express‑AM5 satellite the company specialists did a lot to ensure uniformity of equipment, as various test systems which have much in common and can be used for testing different satellites help reduce expense, efforts and time spent on the preparation of spacecraft for electrical tests. These standardized interfaces and connectors which are implemented for interaction with ground test equipment and monitoring parameters of test procedures provide opportunities of testing other ISS‑Reshetnev-built satellites using the new ATS: Express‑AM6, Express‑AM8, Express‑AT1, Express‑AT2. It should be mentioned that these satellites are based on different types of platforms: heavy-class Express‑2000 and middle-class Express‑1000H. Today ISS‑Reshetnev continues working towards greater standardization and unification of automated test systems, whilst the development of the ATS modernization program is also well underway, since the wheels of progress never stop turning.

A key element of every automated test system is dedicated software, which determines their unique characteristics and performance capabilities. It helps the company specialists develop test methodologies to be implemented both for test procedures as well as for monitoring and analysis of results.

The specialized algorithmic language Dipol-6 is another fundamental component of the complex. It enables satellite developers and designers, who might not have a good grasp of programming, write various algorithms and apply them in spacecraft tests.

ISS-Reshetnev continues working towards greater standardization and unification of automated test systems, whilst the development of the ATS modernization program is well underway.

ISS‑Reshetnev-developed software allows both specialists who are directly involved in tests and satellite designers to perform continuous parameters monitoring. Owing to this, in the event of any malfunction experts can immediately analyze them and make necessary corrections.

Automated test complexes help specialists conduct effective satellite verification and ensure satellites’ reliability during their missions in orbits.

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Engineering solutions

ISS‑Reshetnev's Inventions for Multipurpose Use The manufacture of competitive spacecraft calls for implementation of the latest scientific achievements. With this in mind, Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems is constantly researching and developing innovative engineering solutions. Over 50 odd years the company has registered more than 2000 inventions.

Nearly all major scientific developments of ISS‑Reshetnev are protected by author's certificates and patents, and also they are recorded in the state invention register of the Russian Federation. The availability of patents on cutting-edge technologies is one of the key factors for the assessment of spacecraft competitiveness and compliance with the world standards.

Among recent advanced solutions introduced by ISS‑Reshetnev’s teams of designers and metrologists there is a solar array string substrate. It has

Quick-release flooring structure

been already patented and is used today in advanced Russian-made spacecraft.

Particularly, a string substrate for solar arrays is employed in the navigation satellite Glonass-K, the telecommunications spacecraft AMOS-5 and the data-relay satellite Loutch-5A, all of which are successfully operating in orbits. But this new type of solar arrays has been also further promoted to and adopted by other Russian aerospace enterprises. For instance, they are employed by the exploration satellites Spektr-R and Elektro-L, manufactured

by the Lavochkin Research and Production Association.

A string substrate represents a grid structure which supports solar cells.

To reduce the weight of solar panels, ISS‑Reshetnev specialists offered to use robust and at the same time lightweight strings for their substrates.

Specially twisted and coated with a special mixture, they retain strength and rigidity under harsh conditions of radiation and temperature extremes.

It should be added that strings weigh several times less than fiberglass mesh, which used to be implemented before.

ISS‑Reshetnev specialists conducted numerous thermal and mechanical tests on substrate strings and eventually worked out the optimal formula that met all strength and rigidity requirements.

A new-type electrical heater is yet another solution that contributes to better quality of ISS‑Reshetnev-made satellites. It helps boost performance and effectiveness of an electrical heating system which is used to maintain the temperature stability of spacecraft instruments and structures within predefined limits during eclipse periods.

New enhanced heating equipment has been already subjected to a series of tests and showed good results.

ISS‑Reshetnev specialists also registered their intellectual property rights to a number of software products

Information Satellite Systems

intended to streamline and optimize the process of designing spacecraft systems and satellites as a whole. One of these developments enabled specialists to integrate several software tools for radio electronic equipment design and analysis.

Researchers and innovators of the company regularly showcase their recent developments at a number of largest international aerospace exhibitions.

They are awarded prizes and medals for their solutions and receive recognition in the industry and the world scientific community. Clearly, it helps the Reshetnev Company gain favorable publicity and sustain a positive image.

All the more so since only leading companies which are chosen on a competitive basis get an opportunity to exhibit their products and services at international industry trade shows and exhibitions.

Over a 10-year period 330 inven‑ tions of ISS-Reshetnev specialists have been licensed, 185 software products and 3 industrial design patents have been registered. There are 157 inventors and co-inventors at the Reshetnev Company.

In the past years foldable largesized antenna reflectors reaped numerous awards at international shows. A satellite built around the Express‑1000 platform also received very high appraisals from the world aerospace community. It’s worth saying though, that the main competitive

advantage and a source of pride for the Reshetnev Company is the fact that it is regularly awarded contracts for the manufacture of commercial communications satellites.

Scientific creativity of ISS‑Reshet­ nev specialists isn’t confined to just one particular area of satellite design or construction, quite the contrary, many solutions are applicable in other spheres as well. For instance, the invention called “Quick-release flooring structure” can be classified as auxiliary equipment. This simple and robust structure is intended to be used for flooring in industrial sites, and it can support the weight of 15 people and equipment weighing up to 500 kilograms. It can be quickly and easily deployed and removed, providing the needed working area.

A structure of this kind has already been installed in one of the company’s assembly facilities and is used while working with large-sized spacecraft structures. The invention was awarded a gold medal at the Moscow International Salon of Inventions and Innovative Technologies “Archimedes-2011” and in 2012 it was awarded a bronze medal at “INVENTIONS GENEVA-2012”.

Among a great number of solutions introduced by ISS‑Reshetnev specialists there are some developments that are intended to benefit agriculture, medicine and other spheres of our daily lives. In 2012 a rotor-type windmill was awarded a gold medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. It was designed with the aim of developing and promoting environmentally-friendly autonomous power supply sources which is an urgent issue all over the world today. A rotor-type windmill can

Rotor-type windmill

supplement regional electricity supply networks as well as provide electricity to small and medium-sized consumers.

It can be also used to power various mechanisms and equipment (pumps, fans).

It’s worth mentioning that the Reshetnev Company is ranked number one in Russia for the number of employees (including young ones) who are engaged in research and development activities addressing the future space science and satellite technology needs. Three ISS‑Reshetnev experts were awarded the honorary title “Distinguished Inventor of the Russian Federation”.

In order to encourage and promote innovation the Reshetnev Company implements an incentive scheme for innovators, that is why more and more specialists are motivated to patent their developments. Besides, the enterprise holds annual professionoriented competitions to support inventive activities. Winners receive titles “ISS‑Reshetnev inventor” and “Best young ISS‑Reshetnev inventor”, certificates and label pins.

The company implements new inventions and developments to facilitate production optimization, make manufacturing less time- and effortconsuming. And the most important reason is that the company specialists, working on various inventions, make a great contribution to the constant improvement of satellites’ technical characteristics and increasing their competitiveness in the global market.

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History

Potok satellite – ahead of its Time

30 years ago Russia launched Potok – its first data-relay spacecraft, which opened up a qualitatively new technological era of satellite manufacturing at the Reshetnev Company. The Potok spacecraft paved the way for the development of groundbreaking technical solutions, and many innovations introduced and implemented by the company’s team under the project were later used for the manufacture of the majority of ISS‑Reshetnev satellites.

Potok was intended to relay data from low-orbiting spacecraft and to provide global continuous telegraph and telephone communication services between remote sites and centers. The platform used in the manufacture of Potok was then opted for another data-

relay satellite – Loutch. Afterwards, modifications of this platform were also utilized for Express, Gals, Loutch-2 and Express‑A spacecraft.

Work and efforts undertaken under the Potok project had a profound impact on the way ISS‑Reshetnev developed

for many years ahead. It was the first time the company provided the onboard control subsystem based on the on-board digital computer which was also responsible for management and control of platform’s service systems.

That pioneering step and the first intelligent system aboard the satellite determined future concepts and software technologies that are used in today’s satellites. Employment of the on-board digital computer contributed to Potok’s capability to carry out its long-term mission and provide reliable services.

A lot of effort went into making this mission a success. Other companies that ISS‑Reshetnev cooperated with under this project performed a large amount of work. Particularly, NPO “Elas” (Zelenograd, Moscow region) was tasked with developing the onboard digital computer and both repeaters – Splav and Sintez. Spacecraft design and mission objectives called for the development of active phased antenna arrays, which would enable to carry out electronic scanning, i.e. tracking low-orbiting vehicles by applying precalculated switching combinations to radiating elements. An active phased antenna array was also produced in tandem with NPO “Elas” – the enterprise integrated electronic units with the platform, which was designed and manufactured by the Siberian company. ISS‑Reshetnev specialists in Zheleznogorsk developed ultra light radiating elements (an array consists of more than 500 ones) and nobody possessed this technology in Russia at that time. Spiral radiating elements, having two input ports with high polarization isolation and operating in the centimeter wavelength range, enabled to form two independently steerable beams within one frequency band. It was a world-class achievement and one-of-the-kind technology at that time.

Among other new solutions employed by Potok were absolutely unique at that time optic-electronic instruments helping point the satellite at the Polar Star, the Sun and the

Information Satellite Systems

Earth. A star sensor (developed by Central Design Bureau “Geofizika” (Moscow) was designed in accordance with ISS‑Reshetnev’s requirements specification and then the Reshetnev Company’s team fitted it with specially

Sun sensor used on Potok developed software which enabled the instrument to distinguish astronomical objects from random noise. As well as that, it was the first time when stationary plasma thrusters were used for station-keeping and thermal catalysis thrusters were utilized for attitude control.

Another scientific development without parallel was a gyroscopic stabilizer (devised by Research and Production Center “Polyus” (Tomsk) consisting of two wheels and a gimball assembly. This enterprise also designed and developed a rate gyro unit which comprised six rate gyro sensors and thus allowed creating a gimballess inertial system. Owing to this instrument the Potok spacecraft could operate for some time not referencing the information on the position of celestial bodies. So, the satellite had a kind of autonomous capability and could go without command and control operations from ground stations.

Subsequently a rate gyro unit of this type was employed as a component of the attitude and orbit control subsystem aboard communications satellites SESAT and Express. An advanced active and high-precision AOC subsystem installed on spacecraft

of the Potok series was awarded the Russian Federation Government Prize in 2002.

Besides major innovations outlined above, the project resulted in some other important developments among which there were vacuum-tight and non-detachable pipeline joints, buttweld air-tight connectors, highprecision star sensor interfaces and antenna caps. The company specialists developed unique equipment to test AOC subsystems, as well as an anechoic chamber fitted with a jig-manipulator and measuring instruments to carry out radio-technical checkout of repeaters. ISS‑Reshetnev opened its first clean room facilities while developing the data-relay spacecraft Potok. Nowadays clean rooms form an essential infrastructure for space construction. The Reshetnev Company built its first anechoic chamber and laid down basic principles of highfrequency tests, including absolutely new tests to check energy parameters and various modes as well as beam pointing capabilities.

Scope of activities under this significant project was enormous, which included establishing a processing area at the Baikonur cosmodrome, a ground control complex, and production of special equipment at the enterprises which are part of the integrated structure of ISS‑Reshetnev.

Specialist of our company developed and introduced a ground checkout facility. Having undergone substantial upgrades, this facility is

Inventor’s certificate for the UDAR program (refinement of a subscriber unit’s movement using a radio direction finder) developed for the Potok spacecraft now fitted with up-to-date hardware and operational environment and is still used to test new ISS‑Reshetnevproduced software.

The first Potok spacecraft, having a lifespan of 3 years, orbited the Earth almost twice as long as it was supposed to. The following satellites of this series also performed their missions longer than it had been initially anticipated.

Successful missions of Potok spacecraft became possible owing to outstanding ideas of designers and high quality of technological solutions.

On-board digital computer of the Potok spacecraft

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Information Satellite Systems

History

Long-livers in orbits Having a long history of 53 years, the Reshetnev Company has built and launched over 1200 satellites for a broad range of applications. Many of these craft have become a kind of “classics of the genre”, as they included the most outstanding advancements in both the national and world satellite manufacturing. Impressive research potential, production practices and highly qualified specialists contributed to the development of high quality satellites which were capable of operating in orbits far beyond expected time limits.

As of November 1, 2012 there are 83 ISS‑Reshetnev-made spacecraft operating in different types of orbits.

Fifteen satellites out of 50 craft carrying out their designated mission have exceeded their designed active life span.

Starting from 1975 and throughout near a quarter of a century over 30 spacecraft of the Raduga series were placed into orbit. Despite having a design life expectancy of 3 years, the satellites operated for 6 years on average with the maximum life estimated at 13 years. One of the Molniya-1T spacecraft carried out its mission four times longer that it was initially anticipated (8 years instead of 2).

Communications and television broadcasting satellites of the Gorizont series reached retirement in 2011.

They were developed by the Siberian company to fulfill a crucial state objective – broadcast the 1980 Moscow Olympic games. According to technical documentation, these satellites had mission lives of 3 years, however some spacecraft of the series remained operational much longer – from 12 to 16 years.

Three Gonets-D1 satellites which were launched aboard one booster in February 1996 for a year-and-a-half mission have been providing services for 15 years to date.

Small experimental satellites are usually designed to conduct experiments in space for no longer than 1 year.

Nevertheless, the Mozhayets spacecraft has been running for almost 10 years already, and the Yubileiny satellite, which was launched in 2008, is still healthy and operational.

Satellites of the Glonass-M series form the core of the Russian global navigation system. A number of these spacecraft, having exceeded the estimated active life span of 7 years, have been placed on reserve status.

As space technologies are constantly advancing, it became possible to guarantee longer active life spans of satellites. The first spacecraft built by ISS‑Reshetnev to carry out its mission for 10 years was SESAT. Today it is still operating in orbit, having exceeded the expected life time for more than two years.

There is a great deal of factors which determine how long a satellite will live in

orbits. Quality of equipment components is probably the most important issue when it comes to defining assets’ longterm operation in orbit. Apart from that, capacity and performance of storage batteries and thrusters also play a vital role, since they provide energy for satellites and allow station-keeping maneuvers.

For the manufacture of its spacecraft ISS‑Reshetnev uses proved solutions delivered by the world’s leading Russian and foreign suppliers. Besides, the company pays great attention to quality control of components that it purchases for on-board satellite equipment.

Nowadays in accordance with market requirements, the Zheleznogorsk com­ pany manufactures spacecraft with a 15-year life span. AMOS-5, the first satellite that was designed for a 15-year operational life, was successfully launched in December last year. ISS‑Reshetnev also builds spacecraft of the Express and Yamal series for national companies, as well as advanced satellites under contracts with foreign customers, which are intended to provide communications and television broadcasting services for at least 15 years.

Информационные спутниковые системы

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