«RESHETNEV» spoke about its participation in the recent launch of the heavy rocket «Angara-A5» and the «Orion» booster from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Relay spacecraft assembled by satellite builders worked on it.
The «Luch-5A» and «Luch-5B» relay satellites provided telemetry transmission from the «Orion» booster to the Mission Control Center in areas outside the radio visibility zones of the booster by domestic ground facilities. This allowed MCC specialists to monitor the technical condition of «Orion», which delivered the test payload to the target orbit.
«Luch-5A» is the first head satellite in this group in geostationary orbit at positions 167° east longitude. It provides communication for low-orbit spacecraft, launch vehicles, and boosters that are outside the direct radio visibility zone from the territory of Russia with Flight Control Centers. Thanks to it, reports are also broadcast from cosmodromes and other facilities, and video and voice information is exchanged with the Russian segment of the ISS.
In addition, it transmits information from remote sensing spacecraft of the Earth to the operator of Russian space assets, relays information from automated platforms of Roshydromet, and receives and transmits distress signals from emergency buoys of the international space search and rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT.
«Luch-5B» is also in geostationary orbit in the orbital position of 16 degrees west longitude. It provides communication with low-flying satellites and other space equipment when they are outside the direct radio visibility zone from the territory of Russia.
Both spacecraft have been in orbit for just over 12 years, but are actively performing tasks in the orbital constellation of the Multifunctional Space Relay System «Luch».
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