We are talking about the Express-AMU3 and Express-AMU7 satellites
MOSCOW, December 13. /tass/. The Proton-M carrier rocket with two telecommunications satellites Express-AMU3 and Express-AMU7 launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, follows from the broadcast, which is conducted on the Roscosmos website.
The head part of the rocket as part of the Briz-M upper stage and two telecommunications satellites Express-AMU3 and Express-AMU7 successfully separated from the third stage of the carrier. "There is a separation of the head unit from the third stage of the launch vehicle," said the launch commentator. "Express-AMU7" will separate from the upper stage in 17 hours and 50 minutes after the launch of the rocket, "Express-AMU3" - in 18 hours and 7 minutes.
The spacecraft will be carried out with the help of satellite propulsion systems, which include two SPD-100V and one SPD-140D engines. The term of the satellite "Express-AMU7" will be no more than 56 days, and "Express-AMU3" - no more than 59 days.
The first switching on and off of the Briz-M upper stage in orbit went smoothly, said Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos. "Start-up is normal. There is the first turning on/off of the upper stage," he wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, Rogozin told TASS that the launch of Proton-M was postponed from December 6 to December 12 due to the need to refine the upper stage. Later, the state corporation clarified that the specialists of the Khrunichev Center had eliminated the problem. However, on December 9, Roscosmos reported that the launch was postponed to a reserve date due to the comments identified in the Briz-M upper stage. Later, the state corporation noted that the launch is scheduled for December 13.
About satellites
The Express-AMU3 and Express-AMU7 satellites are designed to provide fixed and mobile communications services, digital broadcasting, high-speed Internet access, as well as data transmission in Russia and CIS countries in the C-, Ku- and L-band.
The devices were launched in the interests of the state enterprise "Space Communications". The Express-AMU3 satellite is planned to be placed at an orbital point of 96.5 degrees east longitude, the Express-AMU7 spacecraft at a position of 145 degrees east longitude.