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Russian Space ForcesSoyuz 2.1a Fregat-M43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Meridian-M No.18
Launched
July 30, 2019 · 05:57 UTC
Summary
Meridian-M No.18 launched on a Russian Space Forces Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M from 43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation on July 30, 2019 at 05:57 UTC. The launch window ran from 05:00 to 08:00 UTC. It was Russian Space Forces's 104th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 5,871st orbital launch attempt. It was the 13th Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Meridian-M No. 18L, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 1,000 × 39,749 km orbit inclined 62.8°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Vehicle
- Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M · Russian Space Forces
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 13th Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M flight · 1st this yearRussian Space Forces's 104th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 5,871st orbital launch attempt51st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Meridian-M No. 18L · NORAD 44453 · 2019-046 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- MERIDIAN 8
- Object ID
- 2019-046A
- Epoch
- 2019-07-30 10:45:42 UTC
- Mean motion
- 1.98482781 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.7243897
- Inclination
- 62.8036°
- Ascending node
- 346.6411°
- Arg. of perigee
- 269.9056°
- Mean anomaly
- 120.3294°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 2 still in orbit
- Meridian-M No. 18L · NORAD 44453 · in orbit
Fregat No. 1036 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Meridian series of communications satellites is reported to be the replacement for all the Molniya-1T, the Molniya-3 and Molniya-3K satellite series and possibly also for the communication component of the Parus. They are launched into highly eccentric Molniya-orbits. Meridian is the highly eccentric orbit (HEO) component of the Integrated Satellite Communications System (ISSS), where they work in conjunction with the geostationary Raduga-1M (Globus-M) satellites. The bus structure is reportedly pressurized, possibly based on the Uragan-M bus. Meridian satellites carry three transponders operating in different frequency bands.
Pad
43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
297th launch from 43/4 (43R), 3rd this year · 1,629th from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Local pad time at liftoff: Jul 30, 8:57 AM GMT+3, in daylight
329 launches from this pad · 1,688 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
19 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian FederationOpen in maps
Questions
When did Meridian-M No.18 launch?
Meridian-M No.18 launched on July 30, 2019 at 05:57 UTC. The launch window ran from 05:00 to 08:00 UTC.
Where can I watch Meridian-M No.18?
Coverage: Пуск ракеты-носителя «Союз-2» с космодрома Плесецк Воздушно-космическими силами России. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Meridian-M No.18?
Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M, flown by Russian Space Forces. Soyuz 2.1a Fregat-M spec sheet
Where did Meridian-M No.18 launch from?
43/4 (43R), Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation. Liftoff was Jul 30, 8:57 AM GMT+3 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Meridian-M No.18 reach?
Meridian-M No. 18L, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 1,000 × 39,749 km orbit inclined 62.8°.
How many satellites did Meridian-M No.18 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).