Specialists of the Reshetnev Company have successfully tested and implemented a new polymer composite material. It will be used for antenna reflectors on the Express-AMU4 communication satellite.
The new carbon fiber is based on a cyanate ester binder. The material is less susceptible to moisture than previously used composites. This is important because high humidity negatively affects the operation of both the satellite and its antennas.
As a reminder, the Express-AMU4 will be the first communication satellite in Russia to be fully created using import-substituted technologies. The development is being carried out for the orbital constellation of the state enterprise Kosmicheskaya Svyaz.
The satellite is scheduled to launch in December 2026, and to be commissioned in March 2027. The Express-AMU4 will provide television and radio broadcasting, as well as broadband Internet access in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. It will replace the Express-AM44, which has been in operation since 2009 and was created in collaboration with the Italian company Alenia Aerospace.
By 2030, Kosmicheskaya Svyaz plans to completely replace eight of its twelve communication satellites with domestic devices.
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JSC Reshetnev has completed the development of actuators for the Express-AMU4 satellite