Specialists from JSC "RESHETNEV" (part of Roscosmos) conducted laboratory tests of the Express-RV spacecraft separation device. The verification confirmed that after the pyrolocks are detonated, the satellite will reliably separate from the upper stage and establish communication with the consumer. The tests were conducted on an engineering qualification model of the satellite under static conditions.
The key structural element is a truss made of metal rods, connecting the spacecraft to the upper stage. Separation occurs in three stages. First, pyrolocks break the rigid connection, then a spring pusher gives the spacecraft an initial impulse. In orbit, the process will take fractions of a second, but the entire subsequent mission depends on its accuracy. During the tests, the enterprise's specialists confirmed the truss's resistance to static loads and the normal operation of the pyrotechnics.
The Express-RV satellite is being created by order of the Roscosmos State Corporation and is intended for internet access throughout Russia, including the Northern Sea Route. The project belongs to the strategic category – failure of the separation mechanism means a complete loss of the spacecraft even before it begins operation. This is why ground tests must reproduce orbital conditions with maximum accuracy, which was confirmed during the tests.