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Meridian-1, 2 – MILSATCOM

Soyuz-2 rocket carried the "Meridian-1" communications satellite into orbit from Plesetsk on December 24, 2006 . Russian Space Forces from "First State Test-Space Centre" at Plesetsk successfully launched a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat which put into orbit a Russian " Meridian " communications satellite developed by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki. The final maneuvers for both earth orbital insertion and later placement in its highly elliptical 12 hour Molniya orbit was carried out with the assistance of a "Fregat" booster last stage at 18:32 Moscow time. The Chief of Information Services of the Space Forces, Colonel Aleksej Kuznetsov reported that the on-board systems of the " Meridian " satellite were all working normally. It is under the control of the "Herman Titov" Main Test Centre which will direct/control its orbital flight. He also noted that the CinC Space Forces, Colonel-General Vladimir Popovkin had highly praised the professionalism of the teams which participated in the preparation and launch of the spacecraft. The " Meridian " communications satellite series was designed to replace the Molniya-1 series ComSats spacecraft (1965-2004) to provide communications for ships and ice-reconnaissance aircraft operating in the area of the Northern Sea Route . This will allow communications with shore and ground stations and a wide network of ComSat stations in northern areas of Siberia and the Far East in the interests of economic development of the Russian Federation . The use of such satellites in a highly-elliptical orbit will allow the enhancement of existing means of communications and will add further to the number of usable frequencies and supplementary trunks/channels present and an increase in daily availability and reliability. " Meridian " is equipped with a multi-trunk relaying communications apparatus and can be used at the current time to supplement existing communications systems provided by the "Gorizont" and "Express-A" satellites. It was launched into a 1.012 x 39,816 km x 62.8 deg over 12 hour `Molniya' orbit.

Meridian-2 / Kosmos-2451

The Second Meridian satellite MILSATCOM was launched May 22, 2009 by the Soyuz-2-1a booster with the Fregat escape maneuvering last stage. The last stage filed to place the satellite into the proper 12 hour class “Molniya” orbit. It had settled into a 290 x 36,460 km by 62.8 degree orbit below the nominal; 1,000 x 39,800 km orbit suggesting that the second Fregat stage burn was cut short and the third did not take place thus the Kosmos-2451 designation. The Fregat stage was not able to make up for the last burn time of apparently 5 seconds. Because of this short fall velocity wise the satellite will not be able to maintain its desired stable orbit and will have to eventually be replaced sooner than later on.