Tags: Thales Alenia Space, Gazprom, Yamal, International Launch Services, Breeze M, Russia
Publication: IndRus.in
Publication Date: 01/10/2013

Yamal-402 launch. Image credit: Gazprom

Thales Alenia Space has announced that the Yamal 402 satellite has reached its final location and it is nominally ready for operation. The satellite was launched on December 8 by International Launch Services (ILS) from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. However, it separated from its upper stage four minutes early because of a failure on the rocket’s Breeze-M booster, which is currently under investigation.

Thales had to undertake a recovery operation using the satellite’s own engines and fuel reserves to take the spacecraft to the correct orbit and slot. The Yamal 402 reached its designated geostationary orbit on December 15 but it wasn’t until Wednesday, Jan 9, that it reached its final location.

Thales built the satellite for Russia’s Gazprom Space Systems to provide communication links over Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Middle East, Europe and Africa. It is equipped with 46 Ku-band transponders to perform its mission.

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