Express-AM7 (40˚E), RSCC’s new communications and broadcasting satellite, is ready for service

On 24 April 2015, the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) will commence communications and broadcasting services from the 40˚E orbital slot using its new Express-AM7 satellite. The satellite has successfully completed in-orbit testing, and is now accepted for service. It covers Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia.

Express-AM7, a heavy-class telecommunications satellite, was manufactured on the RSCC orders by Aribus DS to serve the purposes of the Russian Federal Space Program up to the year 2015 and the Federal Target Program, “Development of TV/Radio Broadcasting in the Russian Federation in 2009-2015”. The Express-AM7 is outfitted with 80 powerful transponders and 9 antennas in the С-, Ku-, and L-bands. Its service life expectancy is 15 years.

According to Oleg Dukhovnitsky of Rossviaz, “The commencement of the satellite operations is another important step towards completely eliminating inequality of access to information among our citizens, and generally enhancing reliability of Russia’s entire TV/radio system. The new capacity will also help RSCC, our subordinate company, to increase operational efficiency in the new economic conditions”.

The Express-AM7 satellite is intended for transmitting TV program packages under the Federal Target Program, supporting communication services for the Office of the President, the Government and specialized users, and providing fixed satellite-supported communications for public and commercial use.

Both domestic and international users will enjoy fresh opportunities to set up broadband internet access, build corporate networks, including those based on VSAT, and provide TV/radio and multimedia services. The Express-AM7 satellite will make it possible for mobile operators to build networks to bind remote cellular base stations in order to expand penetration and communications product line in hard-to-reach and remote areas.

Yuri Prokhorov, RSCC CEO, notes: “In the run-up to the anniversary of the Great Victory, RSCC is starting transmissions of the Federal Program Package and Multiplex 1 and Multiplex 2 to the M (European Russia) and G (the Urals) Broadcasting Zones of the Russian Federation using the latest state-of-the-art с asset, the Express-AM7 satellite. The commissioning of the Express-AM7 will enable RSCC to bolster the Company position in the domestic and international markets, and enter new fast-growing markets of Africa and South Asia”.

The manufacturing of the Express-AM7 satellite was funded using Vnesheconombank resources. The total cost of the project is approximately €152.8M.

The Express-AM7 project was accompanied by a training program for Russian specialists from the Energia Rocket & Space Company and FGUP Radio Research Institute. The training was organized jointly by Airbus DS and RSCC both in Russia and at the ADS facilities in France. The training curriculum  included all aspects of telecommunications programs, such as project management, warranty and quality standards, design and development of space platforms and payloads, payload and spacecraft testing. Over 40 specialists from the Energia RSC and FGUP Radio Research Institute have taken advantage of the training program.

The Russian Satellite Communication Company (RSCC) is the Russian state satellite operator whose spacecraft provide a global coverage. RSCC was founded in 1967 and belongs to the ten largest world satellite operators in terms of satellites and orbital slots. The company possesses the largest satellite constellation in Russia. Satellites located in the orbital arc from 14 West to 145 East and cover the whole territory of Russia, the CIS, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific region, North and South America, and Australia.

As the national satellite operator, RSCC meets the important state tasks on providing mobile presidential and governmental communications, federal TV & Radio signal transmission over the territory of Russia and the most countries of the world. The company pays serious attention to implementing high-priority national projects and closely interacts with the Russian state authorities in the field of informational and telecommunications and broadcast systems development. RSCC provides a full range of communications and broadcasting services using its own terrestrial engineering facilities and satellite constellation, which includes state-of-the-art satellites Express-AM, Express-AT, Express-A, and a part of the French  36A satellite capacity. The company’s satellites offer wide opportunities for TV & radio broadcasting, broadband Internet access, data transmission, videoconferencing, VSAT network deployment, as well as departmental and corporate communications networks worldwide. RSCC has deployed a modern ground satellite management system that is used to control and monitor the company’s own satellites, as well as Eutelsat, Intelsat, etc. satellites.