Mission type Communications COSPAR ID 2015-012A Mission duration 15 years (planned) Inclination 0.02° Launch date 18 March 2015 Bus Eurostar E3000 | Operator RSCC SATCAT no. 40505 Inclination 0.02° Period 24 hours Launch site Baikonur Cosmodrome | |
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Manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space Similar Ekspress, Ekspress AM6, Ekspress AM8, Ekspress AM5, Ekspress‑AMU1 | ||
Ekspress AM7 (Russian: Экспресс-АМ7 meaning Express AM7) is a Russian communications satellite operated by the State Company for Satellite Communications.
Astrium, which had become part of Airbus Defence and Space by the time of the satellite's launch, constructed Ekspress AM7, which was based on the Eurostar 3000 satellite bus. The satellite has a mass of 5,720 kilograms (12,610 lb) and a planned operational lifespan of 15 years. The satellite carried 62 transponders: 24 operating in the C band of the electromagnetic spectrum, 36 in the Ku band and 2 in the L band.
Khrunichev was contracted to launch Ekspress AM7, using a Proton-M/Briz-M rocket - the same configuration that had failed to deploy the similar Ekspress AM4 and Ekspress AM4R. The launch took place from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, at 22:05 UTC on 18 March 2015. The satellite was deployed into the planned geostationary transfer orbit.