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Molniya COMSATS Applications 1981-1987

COMSATS

(Molniya-1)

The Soviet Union uses satellites for a wide variety of space appli­ cations, including communications, meteorology, remote sensing of the Earth, navigation, search and rescue, and geodesy and map­ ping. They have also been active in research related to space man­ufacturing, and offer opportunities to fly foreign experiments on either automated spacecraft or on the space station Mir on a com­ mercial basis.

communications molniya 1

At the beginning of 1984 there were eight operational Molniya 1 satellites in planes spaced at 45° intervals, having ascending nodes at 115°W and 65°E on their North American and Asian loops. Re­ placements were launched at regular intervals through the end of 1986 but no launches were made during 1987. This prompted specu­lation that the role of the Molniya 1 had been assumed by geosyn­ chronous satellites and that the series had been discontinued after more than 20 years of service. However, two new launches in March 1988, demonstrated that this was not the case!

Table 8 lists the Molniya 1 launches from 1984 through 1987.

TABLE 8.—MOLNIYA 1 SATELLITES: 1984-1987

1-60 84-29A ........................ 3/16/84 39737 618 62.9 717.8 6

1-61 84-85A ........................ 8/10/84 39745 609 62.9 717.8 117

1-62 84-89A ........................ 8/24/84 39990 455 62.8 717.8 4

1-63 84-124A ....................... 12/14/84 39902 456 62.9 717.8 5

1-64 85-74A ...................... 8/22/85 39696 657 62.9 717.7 6

1-65 85-99A ...................... 10/23/85 39731 631 63.0 717.9 6

1-66 85-103A ..................... 10/28/85 39857 508 62.8 718.0 24

1-67 86-57A ...................... 7/30/86 39733 620 62.8 717.7 10

1-68 86-68A ...................... 9/5/86 39723 630 62.9 717.7 12

1-69 86-89A ...................... 11/15/86 39898 462 62.9 717.9 14

1-70 86-103A ..................... 12/26/86 39876 475 62.8 717.7 16

Notes:

• Molniya 1-65 was launched from Tyuratam. All other launches were from Plesetsk.
• Apogee and perigee heights in kilometers, inclination in degrees, and orbital periods in minutes.
• Orbits with 7177 minute periods have stabilized ground tracks which repeat each day. Satellites are placed initially into orbits with higher or
  lower periods which allow them to drift to the desired location. The time elapsing between launch and the final maneuver to establish Ihe stabilized ground track is given in the last column.
• Orbital data, which may differ from that given in the Master Log, has been computed from two line orbital element sets provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Four satellites were replaced during 1984. Molniya 1-60 replaced Molniya 1-51 after 28 months. Although Molniya 1-61 was placed into the same orbital plane as Molniya 1-53, it did not stabilize its ground track at the first opportunity, five days later. Its initial 735 minute orbital period caused its ground track to drift westward until October 11, when the period was lowered to 713 minutes, changing the direction of daily drift from westward to eastward. Its ground track was eventually stabilized on December 4, nearly four months after its launch. Molniya 1-53, which, by then, was nearly three years old, had remained on station, and had probably still been operational, throughout this period. It has been suggested that this operation may have been a "deliberate test of on-orbit sparing or surge launching during a crisis situation." 1 In the meantime, Molniya 1-62, launched two weeks after Molniya 1-61, had replaced Molniya 1-54 after 27 months. At the end of the year, Molniya 1-63 replaced Molniya 1-55 after nearly 30 months.

Three more satellites were replaced in 1985. Molniya 1-64 re­ placed Molniya 1-61, which had been on station for only nine months. The short operational life of Molniya 1-61 coupled with the delay in stabilizing its ground track may signify that its per­ formance had been somewhat lower than desired right from launch. Molniya 1-65, the first of two launches within five days of each other in October, was launched from Tyuratam—the only such Molniya 1 launch in the period under consideration. It re­ placed Molniya 1-58, which had also originated from Tyuratam 27 months earlier. Luni-solar perturbations had caused the perigee of Molniya 1-58 to drop dangerously low at the end of March 1985 and it had been necessary to perform corrections to its orbit to pre­ vent it from decaying in the Earth's atmosphere. Molniya 1-66 re­ placed Molniya 1-56 which had been in orbit for more than two and one half years. Its initial daily drift of ground track was east­ ward and it was more than three weeks before it came on station and stabilized its ground track.

The four launches of 1986 were routine replacements, Molniyas 1-67 through 1-70 replacing Molniyas 1-59, 1-57, 1-60 and 1-54 after 33, 42, 33 and 29 months respectively. Molniya 1-70 also used the eastward daily drift launch profile which prolongs the time needed to come on-station.

The fact that all eight planes had been refurbished with new sat­ ellites, Molniyas 1-63 through 1-70, since the end of 1984 could ex­ plain the lack of requirement for any replacement launches in 1987.

(Molniya-3)

The Soviet Union uses satellites for a wide variety of space appli­ cations, including communications, meteorology, remote sensing of the Earth, navigation, search and rescue, and geodesy and map­ ping. They have also been active in research related to space man­ufacturing, and offer opportunities to fly foreign experiments on either automated spacecraft or on the space station Mir on a com­ mercial basis.

MOLNIYA 3

At the beginning of 1984 there were five operational Molniya 3 satellites. Four were in planes spaced at 90° intervals, coinciding with the original four Molniya 1 planes, with ascending nodes at 115°W and 65°E. The fifth, Molniya 3-21, as reported in the previ­ ous chapter, was in a plane mid-way between two of the main planes.

Table 10 lists the Molniya 3 launches from 1985 through 1987.

TABLE 10.—MOLNIYA 3 SATELLITES: 1984-1987

Molniya Number and Designator, Launch Date, Apogee,perigee, incl., Days to Get on station

3-23 85-04A ......................... 1/16/85 39755 628 62.9 717.8 16

3-24 85-40A ......................... 5/29/85 39852 503 62.8 717.8 11

3-25 85-61A ......................... 7/17/85 39943 436 62.8 717.8 21*

3-26 85-91A ......................... 10/3/85 39738 609 62.9 717.6 27*

3-27 85-117A ........................ 12/24/85 39857 490 62.9 717.6 22*

3-28 86-31A ......................... 4/18/86 39739 613 62.8 717.7 11

3-29 86-49A ......................... 6/19/86 39726 630 62.9 717.8 13

3-30 86-79A .......................... 10/20/86 39724 625 62.9 717.7 10

3-31 87-08A ........................... 1/22/87 39897 457 62.9 717.8 28

Notes:

• All Molniya 3 launches were from Plesetsk.
• Satellites denoted by an asterisk established new planes and ground-tracks midway between the planes and ground-tracks of the original constellation.
• Apogee and perigee heights in kilometers, inclination in degrees, and orbital periods in minutes.
• Orbits with 717.7 minute periods have stabilized ground tracks which repeat each day. Satellites are placed initially into orbits with higher or lower periods which allow them to drift to the desired location. The time elapsing between launch and the final maneuver to establish the stabilized ground track is given in the last column.
• Orbital data, which may differ from that given in the Master Log, lias been computed from two line orbital element sets provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
• Table prepared for the Congressional Research Service by G.E. Perry.

There were no Molniya 3 launches at all during 1984. However, in September, Molniya 3-21 relocated its ascending nodes, restabi- lizing its ground tracks in October with ascending nodes at 25°W and 155°E, mid-way between the usual locations.

The first two launches of 1985, Molniyas 3-23 and 3-24, replaced Molniyas 3-19 and 3-18 in the main planes after 29 and 39 months respectively. The final three launches of that year established new planes, mid-way between the main planes, completing, with Mol­ niya 3-21, a constellation of four satellites in the same planes as four Molniya Is but having ascending nodes in the mid-way loca­ tions at 25°W and 155°E. Nicholas Johnson suggested that the choice of the new locations could have been governed by employing them for maritime communications. 2

Molniyas 3-28 and 3-29, in 1986, were routine replacements in the main planes for Molniyas 3-23 and 3-20 after 15 and 40 months respectively. Molniya 3-30 replaced Molniya 3-21, the first of the mid-plane satellites, which had been in orbit for more than three years, at the end of October 1986.

In the only launch of 1987, Molniya 3-31 replaced Molniya 3-21, the oldest of the operational satellites in the main planes, after nearly three and one half years. It stabilized its ground track in mid-February at the second opportunity.

Table 11 shows the replacement sequence of the Molniya 3 satel­ lites in their respective planes and table 12 shows the right ascen­ sions of the ascending nodes for all Molniya 1 and Molniya 3 con­ stellations as of January 1, 1988.

TABLE 11.— REPLACEMENT SEQUENCE OF MOLNIYA 3 SATELLITES: 1984-1987>

A B C D (A)

19 ....... 22 ... 18 ... 20 21

1 ....................... 23 ...........................

9 ....................................... 24 ...........

8 ........................................... 25 ......

5 ........................... 26 .........................

.................................................................................... 27 ................

1....................... 28 ............................

9 ............................................... 29 ..

8 ................................................... 30

6 ___________________________________

1 .......................

9 ............................... 31 .....................

8 .......................

7 .......................

Notes:

• Groups A, B, C and D are separated by 90' in right ascension of the ascending node.
• Molniya 3 numbers immediately below the double line at the top of the table indicate the operational status as of Dec. 31, 1983.
• There were no Molniya 3 launches in 1984.

5. Table prepared for the Congressional Research Service by G.E. Perry.

TABLE 12.— RIGHT ASCENSIONS OF ASCENDING NODES OF OPERATIONAL MOLNIYA SATELLITES AS

OF JAN 10,1988