Gonets

Russian civilian store-dump communications satellite. Study 1999. The first generation store-dump communications Gonets-D system was to have been followed by an advanced Gonets-R design equipped with satellite-to-satellite links. Communication, Store-Dump satellite built by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki (NPO PM) for RKA, Russia. Launched 1992 - 2001.

Gonets-R would have employed a larger, 950-kg spacecraft in even greater numbers (45 satellites in 5 planes of 9) and have operated at L- and Ku bands. Each satellite would have a capacity of 15 earth-space and 3 space-earth channels. On-board storage was 8 Mbytes of data, with a transmission rate of 1.2 to 64 kbit/sec. Seems to have been abandoned due to lack of commercial interest.