Gonets


Gonets is a Russian civilian low Earth orbit communications satellite system. It consists of a number of satellites, derived from Strela military communications satellites. The first two satellites, which were used to test and validate the system, were launched by a Tsyklon-3 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 13 July 1992, and were designated Gonets-D. The first operational satellites, designated Gonets-D1, were launched on 19 February 1996. After launch, the first three satellites were given military Kosmos designations, a practice which was not continued with the other satellites.
Ten operational satellites and two demonstration spacecraft have been placed in orbit. A further three were lost in a launch failure on 27 December 2000. A new series of modernised Gonets satellites, Gonets-D1M, will supplement and eventually replace the satellites which are currently in orbit. A single first D1M satellite was launched by a Kosmos-3M rocket on 21 December 2005. A second D1M satellite was launched by a Rokot carrier rocket on 8 September 2010.

Operator

Gonets satellites are operated along with the third generation Luch satellites by Gonets Satellite System company. Gonets was originally a Russian Federal Space Agency programme, but in 1996 it was privatised and operated by Gonets Satellite System, which was controlled by ISS Reshetnev. In 2017, Roscosmos acquired 80% of Gonets SatCom from ISS Reshetnev. The remaining 20% were held by Dauria Satcom. By 2018, Dauria Satcom sold the shares to Business-Sfera of Coalco group while Roscosmos sold 29% to other private investors. Gonets SatCom has become a Russian space industry company with the largest share of private capital.

User characteristics

, the Gonets orbit group comprises 12 second-generation spacecraft "Gonets-M" and 1 first-generation "Gonets-D1". The orbital group performs the task of direct communication with subscribers at any point of the globe. With such a number of spacecraft in the Gonets orbit group, the system provides communication with waiting time characteristics as indicated in the following table.
City, location latitude Session probability = 0.9 Waiting timeSession probability = 0.8 Waiting timeSession probability = 0.7 Waiting time
Meru, Kenya25.04 min19.98 min13.54 min
Fuli, Vietnam / Vitoria, Brazil20° / −20°19.47 min14.97 min8.85 min
Yerevan, Armenia / Wellington, New Zealand40° / −40°17.79 min12.04 min6.08 min
Belgorod, Russia / Isla Duque de York, Chile50° / −50°15.00 min8.19 min2.17 min
Vyborg, Russia / Orcadas Antarctic Station60° / −60°5.64 min1.78 min0.00 min
Kara Gate Straight, Barencts Sea / Novolazarevskaya Station, Antarctic70° / −70°3.45 min0.00 min0.00 min
Gall Island, North Arctic Ocean / Antarctic Kunlun Station80° / −80°0.00 min0.00 min0.00 min
North Pole / Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station90° / −90°0.00 min0.00 min0.00 min

Technical characteristics of subscriber terminals 0.3–0.4 GHz
Transmitter power8–10 W
Positioning accuracy by GPS/GLONASSup to 10 m
ModulationGMSK
Power supplyAC 220 V, DC 12 V
Weight100–300 g
Bitrates: "Subscriber – Satellite"2.4–9.6 kbit/s
Bitrates: "Satellite – Subscriber"9.6–76.8 kbit/s