The Ekspress series spacecraft for Data transmission, TV & radio-broadcasting, communications, Internet, video-conference closely resembled the Gals spacecraft and shared a similar spacecraft bus. Ekspress was to replace the widely used Gorizont spacecraft, and plans called for deployments at 13 locations (40 degrees, 53 degrees, 80 degrees, 90 degrees, 96.5 degrees, 99 degrees, 103 degrees, 140 degrees, 145 degrees, 205 degrees, 322.5 degrees, 346 degrees, and 349 degrees, all East longitude) for domestic needs and to support the Intersputnik Telecommunications Association.
The Proton-K was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
When is the Proton-K/DM-2M | Ekspress 2 launch?
What rocket is being used for Ekspress 2?
Where is the Proton-K/DM-2M | Ekspress 2 launching from?
What orbit is Ekspress 2 going to?
Who is launching Ekspress 2?
Can I watch the Proton-K/DM-2M | Ekspress 2 launch live?
Mission Profile
Ekspress 2 was a Proton-K/DM-2M mission operated by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center that lifted off from 200/39 (200L), Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan on September 26, 1996. The flight carried its payload on a communications mission to Geostationary Orbit. The launch was a success.