MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The ban introduced by Kazakhstan on the use of the most effective space-flight trajectory for the Proton-M carrier rocket has led Russia to reconsider its space launch plan for 2011.
"At the time of signing the contract it was presumed that the Yamal-300K satellite will be launched together with the Telkom-3 satellite for Indonesia. Both spacecraft, having maximum technical characteristics, could have been launched together, provided the trajectory in Kazakhstan uses an inclination of 48 degrees," said Nikolai Testoyedov, General Engineering Designer and General Director at the Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev Company (ISS, Zheleznogorsk).
"However, late last year Kazakhstan banned the use of this trajectory," he said, adding that this is a non-standard trajectory compared to a standard 51.5 degrees inclination.
"To resolve this issue we suggested changing the launch combinations," he said.
Now it is presumed that the Indonesian Telkom-3 satellite will fly with the Russian Express-MD2 telecommunications satellite and the Russian Yamal-300K communications satellite will fly together with the Russian Luch-5B data relay satellite, Testoyedov said. "The launches have been scheduled for late 2011," he said.
The decision ensures a standard trajectory for the Proton-M carrier rocket for both launches, which does not require use of the banned trajectory, the ISS director said. "The relevant documents are now being prepared," he added.