KRASNOYARSK. Dec 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The Express-AM2 telecommunications satellite of the Reshetnev Research and Production Association of Applied Mechanics, located in Zheleznogorsk, the Krasnoyarsk territory, will be launched in 2005, rather than in December 2004 as was planned initially, Gennady Keselman, deputy director general of the association, told reporters in Krasnoyarsk.
"Unfortunately, we will not be able to launch the satellite in December as planned, although it is ready and waiting at the launch site," he told the December 4 news conference organized at the Siberian Aerospace Show 2004 in Krasnoyarsk.
According to him, the delay is caused by the problems with launch vehicles, and has nothing to do with the association proper.
Keselman added that his enterprise launched six telecommunications satellites in 2004. "A navigation spacecraft is being prepared for launch on December 25," he said.
According to him, the association plans to assemble and launch Express-AM2 and Express-AM3 telecommunications satellites, the Gonets spacecraft and some other special-purpose space vehicles in the interests of the Defense Ministry in 2005.
Express-AM project manager Yevgeny Korchagin said that the Russian space industry managed to restore and develop the Russian spacecraft group in orbit for the past two years.
"Two thirds of the Russian satellites were developers and launched with the participation of specialists of the association," he said.
Business planning director of the Association Valery Lvov added that there are seven projects of future spacecraft under development jointly with France's Alcatel Espace.
"The cooperation will allow us to make reliable satellites in very short time," he said.
An Alcatel Espace representative said that they selected Reshetnev as a partner due to the fact that this Russian firm has a wealth of expertise in development, assembly and launches of spacecraft, as well as due to their resorting to reliable Proton launch vehicles when taking the satellites to orbit.