Meridian-M No.18
Launch SuccessfulLaunch Details
Date: 30 July 2019, 05:57 am UTC
Rocket: Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat-M (Soyuz)
Provider: Russian Space Forces
Mission
Type: Communications
Orbit: Low Earth Orbit
Pad: 43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Mission Description
The Meridian series of communications satellites is reported to be the replacement for all the Molniya-1T, the Molniya-3 and Molniya-3K satellite series and possibly also for the communication component of the Parus. They are launched into highly eccentric Molniya-orbits. Meridian is the highly eccentric orbit (HEO) component of the Integrated Satellite Communications System (ISSS), where they work in conjunction with the geostationary Raduga-1M (Globus-M) satellites. The bus structure is reportedly pressurized, possibly based on the Uragan-M bus. Meridian satellites carry three transponders operating in different frequency bands.