Names Eutelsat 36C COSPAR ID 2015-082A Spacecraft Ekspress-AMU1 Launch date 25 December 2015 Launch mass 5,892 kg Bus Eurostar | Operator RSCC SATCAT no. 41191 Spacecraft type Ekspress-AMU Launch mass 5,892 kg Manufacturer Astrium Mission type Communications satellite | |
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Similar Eutelsat 36B, Ekspress, Ekspress AT1, Ekspress AM6, Ekspress AM7 | ||
Ekspress-AMU1 (Russian: Экспресс-АМУ1), also known as Eutelsat 36C, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by RSCC and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space on the Eurostar 3000 platform for its Ekspress series. It massed 5,892 kg (12,990 lb) at launch, had a power production capacity of 15 kW and a 15-year design life. Its payload is composed of 61 Ku band and 10 Ka band transponders.
Eutelsat leased much of its capacity broadcasting and IP services and positioned it in the 36° East slot under the Eutelsat 36C designation. It is part of the Ekspress series of RSCC.
History
On November 2, 2012, RSCC and Eutelsat announced a 15-year agreement to lease capacity on two satellites to be launched in 2013 and 2015. It would be used for broadcasting and IP services and was valued at 300 million euro. The first satellite was Ekspress-АТ2, already on order, and the second was Ekspress-AMU1, which construction was to be bid later that year.
During 2012 RSCC organized a competition among EADS Astrium (later Airbus Defense and Space), Thales Alenia Space, MDA and ISS Reshetnev to build Ekspress-AMU1. Eutelsat participated from the selection committee since they intended to lease capacity on board the satellite.
In May 2013 Airbus announced that it had been awarded a contract by RSCC to build Ekspress-AMU1. Also known as Eutelsat 36C, it would be the follow up of Eutelsat 36A at the 36° East slot. Based on the Eurostar 3000 it would mass around 5,700 kg (12,600 lb) at launch, have an end of life power production of 15 kW and a design life of 15 years. It was expected to be launched by a Proton-M in 2015. Airbus bid, while slightly more expensive than Thales', promised to deliver the satellite seven months earlier.
By early 2015 the satellite was planned for a September or October 2015 launch, but the satellite was delivered to the launch site in Baikonur on November 12. The launch was then set for December 23, but weather conditions required a day delay. On December 24, 2015, at 21:31:19 UTC, a Proton-M/Briz-M successfully launched from Site 200/39.
On January 1, 2016, RSCC announced that Ekspress-AMU1 had reached the geostationary orbit. On February 10, signals from Eutelsat 36A were switched to Ekspress-AMU1 marking the final commissioning of the satellite into service.