Informator

Russian communications satellite. Oscar 21. Informator was the spacecraft component of the planned Koskon medium earth-orbit communications satellite system. Communication, Amateur communication satellite built by Polyot Production Association, Elas Scientific Production Association for Koskon, Russia. Launched 1991. Used KAUR-1 Bus.

A single test launch was made, but funding was not forthcoming, and the planned 45 satellite constellation never materialized.

Informator was developed by the Polyot Scientific Production Association and the Elas Scientific Production Association. The 600-kg satellite was planned to operate in orbits of around 1,000 km at an inclination of 83 degrees. It was cylindrical (diameter 1.8 m, height 4 m) with two solar panels designed to produce 1 kW average power. Informator relied on gravity gradient stabilization and was projected to have an operational lifetime of 5 years or more.

The operational Koskon system was to consist of 32-45 Informator-class satellites with multiple satellites in several orbital planes. Although replacement spacecraft would be launched by the Kosmos booster, the initial groups of three spacecraft were to be deployed using the Zenit launch vehicle. The first operational spacecraft were to be launched early as 1997 with deployments completed by 1998-1999. Uplink (1.656-1.660 GHz) and downlink (1.555-1.559 GHz) communication would be at a rate of 4-5 MBaud, while cross-linked communications at 2.0-2.1 GHz and 0.5 MBaud was advertised. C-band transmissions may also have been possible. The two primary control centers were to be located in the Moscow and Omsk regions. Informator 1 also carried the Soviet RS14 and the German RUDAK 2 amateur satellite transponders as piggy-back payloads.

The single launch of the prototype satellite was not followed by any others.

Electric System: 1.00 average kW.