The Molniya were Soviet communication satellites operating from an inclined highly elliptical earth orbit of 500 km × 40000 km with 12 hour period for coverage of high northern latitudes.
The Molniya was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages. The 8K78 resulted from a crash program by the Korolev Bureau to develop a booster for launching planetary probes. A larger third stage was added along with a fourth stage (Blok L) that was designed to fire in-orbit to send the payload out of LEO. The basic R-7 core was also structurally strengthened and given more powerful engines. A rushed development produced multiple malfunctions of the upper stages, which led to its being replaced by the improved Molniya-M in 1964, but there were enough 8K78s left to continue flying them into 1967.
The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation are a separate-troops branch of the Russian Armed Forces that control Russia's land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
WIKILow Earth Orbit prototype communication satellite by Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), to test a new satellite platform in the shape of a plate f…
Will carry 26 different satellites on a ride-share launch mission, including Earth observation satellites, details TBD.
28th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commer…
A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Malligyong-1 (meaning "Telescope-1") is a North Korean satellite officially declared to be for military reconnaissance purposes. It failed to reach o…
Fifth crewed flight to the Chinese space station.
This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …
Geostationary communications satellite built by Airbus Defense and Space and based on the Eurostar Neo platform for Arabsat.
The Kondor-FKA is a small civilian radar Earth observation satellite designed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya as a civilian counterpart to the Kondor-E sate…