Ekspress-A1

Ekspress-A1

Names	Экспрeсс-А1 Express-A1 Ekspress-6A No.1
Mission type	Communication
Operator	Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC)
Website	https://eng.rscc.ru/
Mission duration	7 years (planned) Failed to orbit
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Ekspress-A1
Spacecraft type	KAUR
Bus	MSS-2500-GSO
Manufacturer	NPO PM (bus) Alcatel Space (payload)
Launch mass	2,600 kg (5,700 lb)
Power	2540 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	27 October 1999, 16:16:00 UTC
Rocket	Proton-K / DM-2
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 200/39
Contractor	Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Entered service	Failed to orbit
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit (planned)
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Longitude	11° West
Transponders
Band	17 transponders: 12 C-band 5 Ku-band
Coverage area	Russia
Ekspress constellation

Ekspress-A1 (Russian: Экспрeсс-А1 meaning Express-A1), also designated Ekspress-6A No.1, is a Russian communications satellite which is operated by Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC).

Satellite description

It was constructed by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (ISS Reshetnev) and Alcatel Space and is based on the MSS-2500-GSO satellite bus. It is equipped with seventeen transponders.

Launch

The satellite was launched at Baikonur Cosmodrome at Site 200/39 on 27 October 1999, at 16:16:00 UTC. The launch was made by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, and a Proton-K / DM-2 launch vehicle was used. It is part of the Ekspress satellite constellation.

The Russian Ekspress-A1 communications satellite was launched in October 1999 but the Proton-K launch vehicle failed early in flight, during second stage burn. This is the second failure of the 8K82K Proton-K in 1999.