EKS (satellite system)

EKS (Russian: Единая космическая система, tr. Edinaya Kosmicheskaya Sistema meaning Unified Space System[3]) Kupol (Russian: Купол meaning Dome[4]) is a developing[2] programme of Russian early warning satellites as a replacement for the US-KMO and US-K satellites of the Oko programme.[5]:7 These satellites identify ballistic missile launches from outer space and complement early warning radars such as the Voronezh. This gives advance notice of a nuclear attack and would provide information to the A-135 missile defence system which protects Moscow, as well as other Russian missile defense and counterattack resources. Six satellites are planned to be initially orbited.[1] The first of them was launched on 17 November 2015[2] and as of May 2020 there are four in service.[6]

EKS Kupol
ManufacturerRKK Energia (bus) and
TsNII Kometa (payload.)[1]
Country of originRussia[1]
OperatorRussian Space Forces
ApplicationsEarly warning of missile attack
Specifications
BusPossibly USP (Victoria)[1]
PowerDeployable solar arrays
BatteriesYes
EquipmentMilitary early warning system and
a reported secure emergency communications payload
to be used in case of a nuclear war.[1]
RegimeMolniya
Production
StatusActive
On order5
Launched4
Operational4
Retired0
Maiden launchEKS 1 / Tundra-11L,
17 November 2015[2]
Last launchEKS 4 / Tundra-14L,
22 May 2020

Background

EKS has been designated to detect and track ballistic missiles launched towards Russia or its allies.[7] The systems have been designed as a replacement for the current system of early warning satellites called Oko, which had its first launch in 1972 [8]:36[9] and was described in 2005 as "hopelessly outdated".[10] Oko has two types of satellites: US-KMO are in geosynchronous orbits and have an infrared telescope to identify ballistic missile launches.[11] US-K are in Molniya orbits and are an earlier model with optical telescopes and infrared sensors.[12] The Oko system has two control centres with the main one being Serpukhov-15 outside Moscow.[8]:40[8]:52

Oko is part of the Main Centre for Missile Attack Warning[13] which is under the Space Command (KK) of the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.[14]

In 2014, Kommersant published that the first satellite, of a type named Tundra, would be launched in 2014. According to that report they would operate on highly elliptical orbits. The satellite was not launched in 2014, however.[15] It was eventually launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 17 November 2015, using a Soyuz 2.1b rocket with a Fregat stage, under the name EKS-1 / Tundra-11L.[2][16] (GRAU designation: 14F142[17]) Until 2020, five more satellites are planned to be orbited.[1]

Timeline

Information on the new EKS system is scarce but it appears that it was designed by Energia Corp in 1999-2000 and was selected against a proposal from Oko manufacturer NPO Lavochkin.[3] The Russian Ministry of Defence awarded the contract to Energia in 2007 with an expected delivery date of 2008, for a test launch in 2009.[18] In 2009, it was reported to be delayed until late 2011/early 2012.[19] In 2011, the Russian MoD sued Energia for the delay, claiming that a contract extension issued until May 2010 was invalid and asking for 262 million rubles in compensation.[20] According to news reports Energia said that the contract extension was valid and that the problem was with their subcontractors.[20] In addition, they said that the Russian MoD kept changing the specification and demanding things that were beyond the capabilities of the industry.[20] The Russian MoD lost the court case. Energia delivered a satellite in 2009 but as of April 2012 there had not been a test launch.[18]

In April 2012, the minister Alexander Sukhorukov announced that a contract had been signed to manufacture these satellites and that there would be a launch later in 2012.[21] The last satellites of the previous Oko system were Kosmos 2479,[22] launched on 30 March 2012, and Kosmos 2469, launched on 30 September 2010.[23]

The first EKS satellite (Kosmos 2510, EKS-1, Tundra 11L) was eventually launched from Plesetsk on 17 November 2015 using a Soyuz-2.1b rocket[2] and as of May 2020 there are four in service which is the minimum standard strength.[6][24]

Satellites
Satellite[1]COSPAR international designatorNORAD catalog #OrbitLaunch DateEnd DateEstimated Operational Life
Kosmos 2510 (EKS 1) (Tundra 11L)2015-066A41032Molniya[25] 38552 x 1626 km, 63.37°17 November 2015Active
Kosmos 2518 (EKS 2) (Tundra 12L)2017-027A42719Molniya[26] 38552 x 1626 km, 63.37°25 May 2017Active[27]
Kosmos 2541 (EKS 3) (Tundra 13L)2019-065A44552Molniya[28] 38537 x 1646 km, 63.83°26 September 2019Active
Kosmos 2546 (EKS 4) (Tundra 14L)2020-031A45608Molniya[6] 35807 x 1654 km, 63.83°22 May 2020Active
Animation of EKS
Equatorial view
Polar view
Earth fixed frame, front view
Earth fixed frame, side view
   Kosmos 2510 ·    Kosmos 2518 ·    Kosmos 2541 ·    Kosmos 2546 ·   Earth

References
  1. "Gunter's Space Page - Tundra (EKS, 14F142)". Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  2. "Soyuz 2-1B launches EKS-1 to upgrade Russian Early Warning System". Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  3. Podvig, Pavel (22 August 2007). "Russia is working on new early-warning satellites". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  4. "Российскую систему предупреждения о ракетном нападении назвали "Купол"" [Russian missile early warning system has been named Dome.] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. Podvig, Pavel; Zuang, Hui. Russian and Chinese Responses to US Military Plans in Space (PDF). Cambridge, Massachusetts: American Academy of Arts and Sciences. ISBN 978-0-87724-068-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  6. "Soyuz rocket launches Russian missile warning satellite". spaceflightnow.com. SFN. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  7. Path, Neal (5 June 2020). "Russia sets up ballistic missile early warning satellite grouping to monitor the US". International Insider. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  8. Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10: 21–60. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012.
  9. Zak, Anatoly (18 April 2012). "Oko early-warning satellite". Russianspaceweb.com. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  10. Podvig, Pavel (21 November 2005). "Hopelessly outdated". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  11. Krebs, Gunter. "US-KMO (71Kh6)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  12. Krebs, Gunter. "US-KS (74Kh6)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  13. Podvig, Pavel (30 January 2012). "Early Warning". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  14. "Structure". Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. n.d. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  15. Pavel, Podvig (19 July 2014). "New-generation early-warning satellite, Tundra, to be launched in 2014". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  16. "Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket successfully launches Tundra satellite". SpaceflightInsider.com. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  17. Safronov Jr, Ivan (26 May 2017). "«Тундра» в сосновом бору" ["Tundra" in a pine forest] (in Russian). Kommersant. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  18. Podvig, Pavel (18 August 2011). "New generation early-warning satellite turned up in court". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  19. Podvig, Pavel (29 April 2009). "Early-warning satellites - old and new". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  20. Safronov Jr, Ivan (17 August 2011). "Военные проиграли космический иск космической корпорации" [The military lost a space corporation space suit] (in Russian). Kommersant. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  21. "Минобороны РФ заключило контракты на создание спутников для отслеживания ракетных запусков" [Defence ministry signed contracts to build satellites to track missile launches]. ITAR-TASS. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  22. "Oko Satellite successfully delivered to Orbit". Spaceflight 101. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  23. Pavel, Podvig (30 March 2012). "Cosmos-2479 - new geostationary early warning satellite". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  24. https://tass.com/defense/1186069
  25. "Russia's 1st EKS Missile Warning Satellite enters surprising Orbit". Spaceflight 101. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  26. "Russia's Soyuz launches EKS Missile Warning Satellite, ends Year-Long Military Launch Gap". Spaceflight 101. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  27. http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2628699.html
  28. "Russia orbits missile-detection satellite". www.russianspaceweb.com. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
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