EKS (satellite system)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from EKS (satellite))
Jump to navigation Jump to search

EKS Kupol
ManufacturerRKK Energia (bus) and
TsNII Kometa (payload.)[1]
Country of originRussia[1]
OperatorKosmicheskie Voyska Rossii (Cosmic Forces, Russia)
ApplicationsEarly warning of missile attack
Specifications
BusPossibly USP (Victoria)[1]
PowerDeployable solar arrays
BatteriesYes
EquipmentMilitary early warning system and
a reported secure emergency communications payload
to be used in case of a nuclear war.[1]
RegimeMolniya
Production
StatusActive
On order3
Launched6
Operational6
Retired0
Maiden launchEKS 1 / Tundra-11L,
17 November 2015[2]
Last launchEKS 6 / Tundra-16L,
25 November 2022

EKS (Russian: Единая космическая система, romanized: Edinaya Kosmicheskaya Sistema meaning Integrated Cosmos System [3]) Kupol (Russian: Купол meaning Dome[4]) is a developing[2] programme of Russian early warning satellites as a replacement for the US-KMO and US-K satellites of the Oko programme.[5]: 7  The satellites are designed to identify any possible future ballistic missile launches, from outer space, and complement early warning radars such as the Voronezh. This gives advance notice of a nuclear attack and would provide information to the A-135 missile defence system which protects Moscow, as well as other Russian missile defense and counterattack resources. Six satellites are planned to be initially orbited.[1] The first of these was launched on 17 November 2015[2] and as of November 2022, all six of them are in service.[6]

Background

[edit | edit source]

EKS has been designated to detect and track ballistic missiles launched towards Russia or its allies.[7] The systems have been designed as a replacement for the current system of early warning satellites called Oko, which had its first launch in 1972 [8]: 36 [9] and was described in 2005 as "hopelessly outdated".[10] Oko has two types of satellites: US-KMO are in geosynchronous orbits and have an infrared telescope to identify ballistic missile launches.[11] US-K are in Molniya orbits and are an earlier model with optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[12] The Oko system has two control centres with the main one being Serpukhov-15 outside Moscow.[8]: 40 [8]: 52 

Oko is part of the Main Centre for Missile Attack Warning[13] which is under the Space Command (KK) of the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.[14]

In 2014, Kommersant published that the first satellite, of a type named Tundra, would be launched in 2014. According to that report they would operate on highly elliptical orbits. The satellite was not launched in 2014, however.[15] It was eventually launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 17 November 2015, using a Soyuz 2.1b rocket with a Fregat stage, under the name EKS-1 / Tundra-11L.[2][16] (GRAU designation: 14F142[17]) In November 2022, the sixth satellite was orbited.[1][6]

Timeline

[edit | edit source]

Information on the new EKS system is scarce but it appears that it was designed by Energia Corp in 1999-2000 and was selected against a proposal from Oko manufacturer NPO Lavochkin.[18] The Russian Ministry of Defence awarded the contract to Energia in 2007 with an expected delivery date of 2008, for a test launch in 2009.[19] In 2009, it was reported to be delayed until late 2011/early 2012.[20] In 2011, the Russian MoD sued Energia for the delay, claiming that a contract extension issued until May 2010 was invalid and asking for 262 million rubles in compensation.[21] According to news reports Energia said that the contract extension was valid and that the problem was with their subcontractors.[21] In addition, they said that the Russian MoD kept changing the specification and demanding things that were beyond the capabilities of the industry.[21] The Russian MoD lost the court case. Energia delivered a satellite in 2009 but as of April 2012 there had not been a test launch.[19]

In April 2012, the minister Alexander Sukhorukov announced that a contract had been signed to manufacture these satellites and that there would be a launch later in 2012.[22] The last satellites of the previous Oko system were Kosmos 2479,[23] launched on 30 March 2012, and Kosmos 2469, launched on 30 September 2010.[24]

The first EKS satellite (Kosmos 2510, EKS-1, Tundra 11L) was eventually launched from Plesetsk on 17 November 2015 using a Soyuz-2.1b rocket[2] and as of May 2020 there were four in service which is the minimum standard strength.[25][26] A fifth one was launched in November 2021 to start the expansion of the system capabilities. In November 2022, the initial constellation of six satellites was completed.[6]

Satellites

[edit | edit source]
Satellite[1] COSPAR international designator NORAD catalog # Orbit Launch Date End date Estimated Operational Life
Kosmos 2510 (EKS 1) (Tundra 11L) 2015-066A 41032 Molniya[27] 38552 x 1626 km, 63.37° 17 November 2015 Active
Kosmos 2518 (EKS 2) (Tundra 12L) 2017-027A 42719 Molniya[28] 38552 x 1626 km, 63.37° 25 May 2017 Active[29]
Kosmos 2541 (EKS 3) (Tundra 13L) 2019-065A 44552 Molniya[30] 38537 x 1646 km, 63.83° 26 September 2019 Active
Kosmos 2546 (EKS 4) (Tundra 14L) 2020-031A 45608 Molniya[25] 35807 x 1654 km, 63.83° 22 May 2020 Active
Kosmos 2552 (EKS 5) (Tundra 15L) 2021-113A 49503 Molniya[31] 38761 x 1609 km, 63.83° 25 November 2021 Active
Kosmos 2563 (EKS 6) (Tundra 16L) 2022-145A 54223 Molniya[6] 38753 x 1596 km, 63.82° 2 November 2022 Active
Animation of EKS with 4 satellites
Equatorial view
Polar view
Earth fixed frame, front view
Earth fixed frame, side view
   Kosmos 2510 ·    Kosmos 2518 ·    Kosmos 2541 ·    Kosmos 2546 ·   Earth

References

[edit | edit source]
Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 392: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ a b c d e Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  21. ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  22. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  23. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  24. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  25. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  26. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  27. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  28. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  29. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  30. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  31. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

Sources

[edit | edit source]
[edit | edit source]
Retrieved from "http://70.231.62.181/index.php?title=EKS_(satellite_system)&oldid=6741748"