RSCC has made initial payments under contracts with JSC ISS Reshetnev and Thales Alenia Space to build Express-80 and Express-103 satellites

Commissioned by RSCC, the two space hardware manufacturers have been building two new satellites that will join the Russian state-owned orbital satellite constellation in 2019.

The two spacecraft, Express-80 and Express 103, are scheduled to be orbited in the third quarter of 2019. The satellites will be placed in the 80˚ and 103˚ E orbital slots, respectively. The mission of the Express-80 and Express 103 satellites is to provide communications and broadcasting services in the C- and Ku-bands over the territory of Russia and CIS countries.

In June 2016, RSCC signed a contract with JSC ISS Reshetnev Company for delivery of spacecraft platforms for the two satellites. Another contract was signed with Thales Alenia Space to build payloads for them. The initial contractual payment by the customer has been made on 28 December 2016.

RSCC is having the two spacecraft built using financial support of (Russia’s largest) savings bank (the “Sberbank”), which provided a loan to fund activities under the contract with the Reshetnev Company. Also, under the terms of a credit agreement, another bank, the Alfa-Bank, is providing the funding to build  payloads for the Express-80 and Express 103 spacecraft.