Manufacturer |
RKK Energia (bus) and TsNII Kometa (payload.) [1] |
---|---|
Country of origin | Russia [1] |
Operator | Kosmicheskie Voyska Rossii ( Cosmic Forces, Russia) |
Applications | Early warning of missile attack |
Specifications | |
Bus | Possibly USP (Victoria) [1] |
Power | Deployable solar arrays |
Batteries | Yes |
Equipment | Military
early warning system and a reported secure emergency communications payload to be used in case of a nuclear war. [1] |
Regime | Molniya |
Production | |
Status | Active |
On order | 3 |
Launched | 6 |
Operational | 6 |
Retired | 0 |
Maiden launch | EKS 1 / Tundra-11L, 17 November 2015 [2] |
Last launch | EKS 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 [update], all six of them are in service. [6]
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warning satellites called Oko, which had its first launch in 1972 [8]: 36 [9] and was described in 2005 as "hopelessly outdated".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]
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 [update] 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]
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 |
Manufacturer |
RKK Energia (bus) and TsNII Kometa (payload.) [1] |
---|---|
Country of origin | Russia [1] |
Operator | Kosmicheskie Voyska Rossii ( Cosmic Forces, Russia) |
Applications | Early warning of missile attack |
Specifications | |
Bus | Possibly USP (Victoria) [1] |
Power | Deployable solar arrays |
Batteries | Yes |
Equipment | Military
early warning system and a reported secure emergency communications payload to be used in case of a nuclear war. [1] |
Regime | Molniya |
Production | |
Status | Active |
On order | 3 |
Launched | 6 |
Operational | 6 |
Retired | 0 |
Maiden launch | EKS 1 / Tundra-11L, 17 November 2015 [2] |
Last launch | EKS 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 [update], all six of them are in service. [6]
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]
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 [update] 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]
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 |