Blagovest (satellite)

Blagovest satellites (technical identifier 14F149) form a constellation of four geostationary satellites to support Russian Armed Forces communications.

Scale model during the "Armiya 2021" exhibition.

The satellites have Ka and Q band transponders,^[1] and provide high speed internet, telephony, and other services.^[2] They were manufactured by ISS Reshetnev, and are based on the Ekspress-2000 bus featuring two deployable solar arrays with five panels on each. The design life is 15 years.^[3]

The first satellite Kosmos 2520/Blagovest-11L was launched on 16 August 2017,^[1] Kosmos 2526/Blagovest 12L on 18 April 2018, Kosmos 2533/Blagovest 13L on 21 December 2018, with the fourth (Kosmos 2539/Blagovest-14L) launched on 5 August 2019, using a Proton-M carrier rocket with Briz-M orbital insertion module.^[4][3] All launches took place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81 Pad 24.^[5]

Source^[6]

Satellite	Launched on	Carrier rocket / Orbital insertion module	COSPAR	Position	Status
Blagovest 1	16 August 2017	Proton-M / Briz-M	2017-046A	46° est	OK
Blagovest 2	18 April 2018	Proton-M / Briz-M	2018-037A	49° est	OK
Blagovest 3	21 December 2018	Proton-M / Briz-M	2018-107A	52° est	OK
Blagovest 4	5 August 2019	Proton-M / Briz-M	2019-048A	55° est	OK

References

1. 14F149 Blagovest communications satellite, Global Security, accessed 2019-01-17
2. Russia to Complete Military Satellite Constellation Blagovest in April, Sputnik News/Space Daily, 2019-01-15
3. Blagovest 1, 2, 3, 4 (14F149), Gunter’s Space Page, accessed 2019-01-17
4. Graham, William (5 August 2019). "Forums L2 Sign Up SLS/Orion SpaceX Commercial ISS International Other Proton-M successfully launches fourth Blagovest satellite". NASA Spaceflight.com. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
5. "Proton launches the final Blagovest satellite".
6. Gunter Dirk Krebs. "Blagovest 1, 2, 3, 4 (14F149)". Retrieved 13 June 2013.