Luch 5A
Luch 5A (Russian: Луч-5А meaning ray and sometimes transliterated as Loutch-5A) is a Russian Luch relay satellite which transmits data from the Russian Orbital Segment of the International Space Station, and from other satellites in low Earth orbit. It is in geosynchronous orbit.
![]() Model of Luch-5A at CeBIT in 2011 | |
Mission type | Communications |
---|---|
Operator | Roskosmos |
COSPAR ID | 2011-074B[1] |
SATCAT no. | 37951[1] |
Mission duration | 10 years |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | Ekspress-1000A[2] |
Manufacturer | JSC Information Satellite Systems |
Launch mass | 1,148 kilograms (2,531 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 11 December 2011, 11:17 UTC |
Rocket | Proton-M/Briz-M |
Launch site | Baikonur 81/24[1] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geosynchronous |
Luch
Luch 5A is one of three Luch relay satellites. Luch 5B was launched on 2 November 2012 and Luch 5V was launched on 28 April 2014.[2] They are dual purpose satellites with both military and civil uses, and are similar to those in the US Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.[3]
Luch 5A was built by JSC Information Satellite Systems using the Ekspress-1000A bus. It has 6 S and Ku band channels with repeaters manufactured by Thales Alenia Space and other equipment manufactured by Sumitomo. The Ku band antenna operates at up to 150 Mbit/s and the S band antenna at up to 5 Mbit/s. The satellite also relays COSPAS/SARSAT signals and Planet-S System data.[2][4][5][6][7]
The satellite is designed to relay data from the ISS, satellites in low earth orbit and rocket launch vehicles.[5]
Luch 5A is located at 167° E.
Launch
Luch 5A was launched on 11 December 2011 with satellite Amos-5. The Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M upper stage launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome launchpad 81/24 at 11:17 UTC. After four burns of the Briz-M upper stage it was placed into geosynchronous transfer orbit.[1]
References
- "2011-074". zarya.info. 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- "Luch 5A". Gunter's Space Page. 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- "Russia launches two telecoms satellites". RIA Novosti. 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
- "Loutch-5A and Loutch-5B DRSs". ISS Reshetnev. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- "AMOS-5 and Loutch-5A successfully launched". ISS Reshetnev. 2012-11-06. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- "Thales Alenia Space to supply repeaters equipment for Russian satellites Loutch-5A and Loutch-5B". Thales Alenia Space. 2007-06-19. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- "Luch satellite". Russian Space Web. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-11-04.