Space connection

The Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Space Communications" (GPKS) is the Russian national satellite communications operator, whose spacecraft have global coverage, has the largest orbital constellation in Russia of 11 geostationary satellites operating in the C-, Ku- and L-bands. The GPKS spacecraft service areas cover the entire territory of Russia, the CIS countries, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, North and South America, Australia.

Aktivs

GPCS provides a full range of communication and broadcasting services using its own satellite constellation and ground-based equipment. GPKS operates in all geographically accessible markets, providing communication and broadcasting services to customers from 35 countries of the world, and is one of the ten largest satellite operators in the world in terms of orbital frequency resource.

In 2012, as part of the GPKS satellite constellation, 11 satellites on the arc of a geostationary orbit from 14 degrees west to 140 degrees east longitude.

The GPKS includes five teleports in the territory from the Moscow region to the Khabarovsk Territory - Space Communication Centers (CKS):

• "Bear Lakes" (Shchelkovskaya district of the Moscow region),
• "Dubna,"
• Skolkovo,
• Zheleznogorsk and
• "Khabarovsk,"

high-speed fiber-optic network, as well as the Shabolovka Technical Center in Moscow. The Shabolovka shopping center is a switching center for fiber-optic communication lines connecting teleports with international switching centers.

In the Shabolovka shopping center, the GPKS will deploy its own center for program compression and multiplexing of digital transport flows, which provides the formation of packages of federal television and radio programs for subsequent ascent to the GPKS satellites (including in the MPEG4 standard).

The ambitious strategy for the development of the GPKS is determined until 2020 and provides for the creation and operation of the most modern spacecraft (at the end of 2012, a record 7 satellites are being built at the same time by order of the GPKS), the transformation of the business model of the enterprise from infrastructure to universal. The strategic goal of the GPKS until 2020 is to enter the top five largest global players in the satellite communications market.

History

2024: Creation of a software and hardware complex to protect against attacks on communication satellites

In Russia, a software and hardware complex was created to protect against external attacks on communication satellites. About this development in the state-owned company "Space Communication" told in April 2024.

According to the general director of the enterprise, Alexei Volin, the technology is already protecting Russian devices. At the same time, the head of the Russian state satellite operator did not disclose the details of the project, explaining this by the reluctance to "give a hint to those people who do not want us well."

A software and hardware complex has been created in Russia to protect against external attacks on communication satellites

As noted by TASS, earlier Alexei Volin said that FSUE Cosmic Communications is observing constant attempts from the adjacent territory to drown out or replace the signal of Russian satellites. He also reported on the creation of a software and hardware complex in Russia, which, according to Volin, will determine the presence of targeted interference aimed at the satellite.

The general director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Space Communications" noted that previously discovered targeted interference was not focused on civil spacecraft, but now the creation of the complex is necessary.

The most important thing here is to determine: this is a targeted interference or just an accidental one, "he said.

The company has developed a complex to protect against attacks on communication satellites after cases of announcement of false air alarm signals on the air of radio stations and TV channels were recorded in Russia. Such signals were reported, in particular, by residents of the Moscow and Tula regions, as well as Krasnodar, Voronezh, Kazan and other cities. The Ministry of Emergency Situations claimed that information about the alarm spread due to the hacking of the servers of some radio and TV channels.^[1]

2021

Frequency delimitation with OneWeb

Administrations svya­zi Great Britain Russia also signed agreements on the international frequency coordination which included frequency assignments. OneWeb in Ros­sii Within OneWeb this document agreed with Russian Satellite Communications Company about mechanisms of an exception of mutual hindrances with high-elliptic group "Express-RV" which has to earn in 2025. It became known here on October 11, 2021. More.

Alexey Volin - the new head of the company

Alexey Volin He was appointed General Director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Space Communications" (GP KS). The corresponding order Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation No. 353-k was signed on June 23, 2021, and 5 days later the former deputy head Ministry of Digital Development took up his official duties. More. here

Plans to invest 40 billion rubles in the Sphere program

Space Communications and Gazprom Space Systems plan to invest more than 140 billion rubles in the program of the Sphere multifunctional satellite system. This became known on February 4, 2021. The planned amount of extra-budgetary funding from the FSUE "Space Communications" for the period from 2022 to 2030 is estimated at more than 40 billion rubles |. Read more here.

2019: Opening of an updated TSUP in Skolkovo

On June 14, 2019, information appeared that Space Communications (GP KS) opened an updated Mission Control Center (TSUP) at Skolkovo. The company explained the need to improve the TSUP with the upcoming launches of new satellites. GP KS expects to launch seven satellites into geostationary orbit (GSO) and four into high elliptical orbit (VEO) by 2026. Read more here.

2016

Revenue growth by 24% to 11.4 billion rubles

The revenue of FSUE Cosmic Communications amounted to 11.4 billion rubles. This is 24% more than in 2015, when the company earned 9.2 billion rubles.

GP KS significantly increased the share of income from international activities. If in 2015 it was 30% of the total revenue structure, then in 2016 it increased to 40%. Such growth, in particular, was the result of the enterprise entering the Latin American market and expanding its customer base in South Africa.

Despite the increase in revenue from foreign projects, the GP COP believes that 2016 could be even more effective in this regard, if not for the difficulties with the order of the Express-AMU2 satellite, which was originally planned to be launched just in 2016. "

Thanks to the update of the satellite constellation, we have spacecraft that significantly expand our capabilities in the Middle East, Latin America, India, Pakistan, South Asia. So far, unfortunately, we have not been able to strengthen in Southeast Asia due to objective circumstances. We were counting on AMU-2, but, as you know, the work on it was never completed, "explained Ksenia, Deputy General Director for Business Development of the State Enterprise of the Constitutional Court Drozdova

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In the "Space Connection" found signs of abuse of monopoly position

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) in very harsh terms described in February 2016 the results of an on-site audit of the state-owned enterprise Space Communications (GPKS), which was carried out on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. The FAS announced the identification in the activities of the structure of repeated violations of the law "On Protection of Competition," "On the Contract System" and "On State and Municipal Enterprises"^[2].

In particular, signs of discrimination in the mechanism of access to space infrastructure were identified, said Anton Pastukhov, deputy head of the FAS Aviation, Rocket, Space and Nuclear Industry Control Department.

Violations were revealed not only in the activities of the GPKS itself, but also in the work of the "federal authorities in charge of the enterprise." This is the Federal Communications Agency (Rossvyaz). In addition, the FAS added that the GPKS tried to impede the audit and did not provide the antimonopoly department with the requested materials.

A source in the satellite communications market considers the real reason for such sharp attacks by the FAS against the GPKS to be contradictions that the GPKS and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications have. "The new leadership of the ministry tried to actively interfere in the economic activities of the GPKS, which caused discontent among the heads of the enterprise," says the source of CNews. For example, when asked by the ministry to provide him with certain materials, the GPKS responded with a requirement to pre-fill out a form for employees of the department to access classified documents.

2015: Annual revenue forecast - 9.2 billion rubles

The revenue of FSUE Cosmic Communications at the end of 2015 should amount to 9.2 billion rubles, and by the end of 2016 should reach 12 billion rubles. This forecast at the GPKS conference was announced in February 2016 by its head Prokhorov Yuri.

"Revenue growth, net profit growth allows us to repay the loans that we attracted for the construction of spacecraft and think about the development of the group," he added. By the way, the net profit predicted after the GPKS audit procedure should amount to 2.5 billion rubles.

About 41-42% of GPKS revenue in 2015 fell on foreign customers. In 2016, FSUE will continue to develop foreign projects, in particular, it intends to launch a satellite project in India with the participation of GeoTelecommunications.

2014

Revenue growth of 36.7%

The revenue of the Russian national operator FSUE Cosmic Communications (GPKS) in 2014 increased by 36.7 percent and amounted to eight billion rubles, compared with 5.85 billion rubles last year.

The number of broadband access network (broadband access network) subscribers on the Internet exceeded 5.5 thousand users. GPKS is developing a satellite communication system in the Ka-band, Internet access service is provided in the European part of Russia using the KA-SAT (9E) satellite.

In the first quarter of 2015, the satellite broadband access service will be available to residents of the Far East and Siberia (on the new Russian Express-AM5 satellite). In the third quarter, it is planned to add the Central and South Ural regions to the coverage area (on the Express-AM6 satellite).

In 2015, three GPKS spacecraft are scheduled to be launched: the Express-AM7 and Express-AM8 satellites in the first quarter and the Express-AMU1 spacecraft in the fourth quarter.

"Space connection" sees no point in reforming

The management of Cosmic Communications skeptically assessed the initiatives of the Ministry of Communications to change the financing and corporatization scheme of the enterprise. The proposed measures will not lead to budget savings, but they will cause inconvenience for many participants in the process and reduce the number of launches, CNews says^[3].

2003-2009: Launch of 7 new satellites

In the period from 2003 to 2009, the satellite constellation of the enterprise was replenished with seven satellites of the Express-AM series and one small spacecraft Express-MD1. At the same time, GPKS took control and control of its own satellites, which made it possible to significantly improve the quality and reliability of the services provided.

The company's efforts to develop modern information and communication services and enter new regional markets also did not go unnoticed - at the international summit on satellite communications, which was held in September 2009 in Paris, GPCS was recognized as the best regional satellite operator of the year in the world.

For 2013, FSUE Cosmic Communications is the third oldest operating satellite operator in the world.

2001: Transformation into FSUE Space Communications

On April 19, 2001, GPKS received the status of a Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE Cosmic Communications or GPKS).

2000: Launch of the first satellites of the Express-A series

In 1998, within the framework of the Federal Space Program of Russia, GPKS signed a contract with the domestic spacecraft manufacturer NPO PM for the development and production of new modern satellites of the Express-A series with improved technical parameters, the payload to which was provided by the French company Alcatel. In 2000, two satellites of this series were successfully launched into orbit, which became the harbingers of the development and implementation of the Program for the renewal of the Russian national satellite constellation.

1980: Satellite television broadcast of the Olympics in Moscow

One of the main stages in the history of GPKS was the organization of television satellite broadcasts of the Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980. To solve this difficult task at that time, the Dubna Space Communications Center was created in the Moscow Region, which is currently the largest teleport in Russia and Eastern Europe. In connection with the preparation for the Olympic broadcasts, the Vladimir Space Communications Center in the Vladimir Region (established in 1971) also received an additional impetus for development. GPKS ground technical facilities successfully provided worldwide coverage of the Olympic Games and live broadcasts throughout the Soviet Union and other states, including countries in the Atlantic region.

In the 80s, work on the development of a civilian satellite communications constellation was practically stopped. The first new Russian communications and broadcasting satellite Express began operating only 15 years after the launch of the first Horizon.

In the early 90s, the new economic situation in the country contributed to the fact that defense industry enterprises offered consumers their achievements at the level of world standards. A new stage in the development of satellite communications and broadcasting in Russia in the 90s is associated with the use of not only foreign relay equipment, but also with the use of the best achievements of domestic technologies in the field of instrumentation.

1976: World's first direct satellite broadcasting system

The history of GPKS is inextricably linked by the creation of domestic communication and broadcasting satellites. In the USSR, priority was given to the creation of manned and scientific spacecraft, as well as special-purpose systems, so the first domestic geostationary communication satellites were noticeably inferior in their technical parameters to foreign counterparts. However, there were also unique developments: for example, in 1976, the world's first geostationary direct broadcast satellite, Ekran, was launched in the USSR. The Ekran system operated in a frequency range below 1 GHz and had a large transmitter power of an on-board repeater (up to 300 watts), which made it possible to cover sparsely populated areas in Siberia, the Far North and part of the Far East by television broadcasting. For its implementation, frequencies 714 and 754 MHz were allocated, on which it was possible to create fairly simple and cheap receivers. The Ekran system became actually the world's first direct satellite broadcasting system.

1968: Creation of the "Space Communications Station"

In 1968, by order of the USSR Ministry of Communications, the Space Communications Station was formed, which eventually became the operator of the Russian orbital constellation of civil communications and broadcasting satellites - the State Enterprise Space Communications (GPKS).

1967: Orbit Communication System

In 1965-1967. in record time in the eastern regions of the USSR, 20 earth stations "Orbit" and a new central transmitting station were simultaneously built and put into operation. (K-40 cabin) on the territory of the radio engineering range of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute in the Shchelkovsky district of the Moscow region, which became the first receiving and transmitting earth station of the GPKS (today one of the key facilities of the enterprise's ground infrastructure is located here - the Bear Lakes Space Communications Center). The Orbit system has become the world's first circular, television, distribution satellite system, which most effectively uses the capabilities of satellite communications.

When creating the Orbit system, much attention was paid to the selection of sites for the placement of earth stations. The place for the construction of earth stations was chosen as close as possible to television centers, and so that the influence of interference from tropospheric radio relay lines operating in the same frequency range was excluded. An important solution in the development of the system was the transition to the use of relatively small parabolic antennas, with a mirror diameter of 12 m, while at that time stations with huge and expensive antennas with a diameter of 25-32 m were being built in the international Intelsat system.

Since November 4, 1967, broadcasts of central television programs in the Orbit system have become regular. It is this day that is considered the birthday of the GPKS.

1965: The first Soviet communications satellite - "Lightning-1"

In the 50-60 years of the XX century, the USSR and the USA were recognized world leaders in the field of space exploration. The first artificial Earth satellite, created by a group of Soviet scientists led by the founder of practical cosmonautics, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, was successfully launched into orbit on October 4, 1957. This event marked the beginning of the space era of mankind.

Already in the early 60s, the commercial feasibility and vital need to create communication satellites and television broadcasting became obvious. With the advent of domestic satellites of the Lightning series and American Telstar, the rapid development of satellite communications around the world began. The USSR became a pioneer in the use of communication satellites in a highly elliptical orbit and the development of satellite direct television broadcasting.

The first Soviet communications satellite, Molniya-1, was launched on April 23, 1965 and placed in a highly elliptical orbit that allowed it to serve the territory of the USSR. The satellite was visible from anywhere in the country for 8 hours, through which experimental broadcasts of television programs and telephone communication on the line - were successfully organized. MoscowVladivostok

Notes