The Russian heavy-lift Proton-M launch vehicle is ready to launch the new Elektro-L No. 5 weather satellite. The launch is scheduled for December 15 and will be another confirmation of the reliability of one of the most proven heavy-class rockets in the world.
The Proton is created by the Khrunichev Center, the rocket's height reaches 58 meters, and the launch mass exceeds 700 tons. After the operation of three stages, control will be taken over by the DM-03 booster unit, developed by Energia Corporation, which will put the Elektro-L No. 5 satellite, manufactured at NPO Lavochkin, into the target orbit. This will be the 430th launch of this type of rocket.
The Elektro-L series of spacecraft operate in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers. In such an orbit, the satellite moves synchronously with the Earth's rotation and remains stationary for an observer on the surface. This allows constant observation of the same territory, which is critical for weather forecasting, climate research, and monitoring of emergency situations.
Elektro-L provides Roshydromet with operational weather data, monitors marine areas, assesses conditions for aviation, and studies the state of the ionosphere and magnetic field. Each satellite takes images of the visible hemisphere of the Earth every 30 minutes in the visible and infrared ranges with a resolution of up to 1 km and 4 km per pixel, which allows tracking the dynamics of cloud cover, recording climate changes, and responding to emergency situations.