ISS-Reshetnev Company

Throughout its 55 years, ISS-Reshetnev Company has built up extensive capabilities in satellite manufacturing. Among the company’s greatest assets are its highly qualified and dedicated employees, enormous scientific potential and world-class experimental and manufacturing facilities. Over this period ISS-Reshetnev has delivered more than 1 200 satellites for a wide spectrum of missions. They have served as a basis for more than 40 multi-satellite space-based systems and complexes deployed in all types of orbits. The company’s achievements and contributions to the national and global space industries were recognized with the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. More than 80 ISS-Reshetnev’s employees have been awarded various state prizes, including the Lenin Prize, the USSR State Prize, the Russian Federation State Prize and other government awards.

The federal state unitary enterprise NPO PM was transformed into a joint-stock company called Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems (ISS-Reshetnev Company) within the scope of Russia’s space industry reforms. The company is 100 percent state-owned and keeps implementing crucial projects, thus enhancing the country’s defense capabilities as well as facilitating social and economic development. In 2008 ISS-Reshetnev hosted a visiting session of the Government of the Russian Federation. Held at the company’s facilities, the meeting was chaired by Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. During the period between 2000 and 2010 ISS-Reshetnev was focused on expanding international cooperation. The company signed a number of satellite construction contracts with foreign customers.

In 2011 the first next-generation Glonass-K navigation satellite was launched into orbit. Later the same year the Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS reached its full operational capabilities with 24 navigational satellites operating in orbits.

The company has also successfully tried a new tandem scheme of launching satellites into orbit. When satellites are launched in pairs, they are stacked one on top of another under the rocket’s fairing. The following pairs of ISS-Reshetnev’s satellites were launched using this scheme: Loutch-5A and AMOS-5, Loutch-5B and Yamal-300K, Loutch-5V and KazSat-3. The Reshetnev Company also put great efforts into the development of a LEO system for personal communications GONETS-D1M – apart from producing Gonets-M satellites, it is busy developing a new improved Gonets-M1 series.

While working on communications satellites, ISS-Reshetnev strives to increase its involvement in the projects, expand scope and scale of activities it is to fulfil. So, today the company is focused on the in-house manufacture of satellite payloads. Moreover, certain positive results have already been achieved in this area: the company has designed and manufactured payloads for data-relay satellites Loutch-5A, Loutch-5B and Loutch-5V.

To date, ISS-Reshetnev Company has also considerably increased throughput capabilities available on its satellites built around light-class Express-1000 and heavy-class Express-2000 platforms. The company introduced a new technical solution for satellites whose mass exceeds three tonnes: the use of an electric propulsion unit enables launching heavy satellites, thus exploiting launch vehicles’ lift capabilities to the full extent.

History

The history of the company “Information Satellite Systems” named after academician M.F. Reshetnev has more than half a century. The company was founded in 1959 as the Eastern branch of OKB-1 S.P. Korolev in the city of Krasnoyarsk-26 (now Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory). Its leader was appointed MF. Reshetnev - student and ally of S.P.Korolev.

Initially, the young team’s specialization was design support for the mass production of ballistic missiles, but in the early 1960s the company began to develop a light launch vehicle of the Cosmos type and small communications spacecraft. Since then, the creation of satellites has become the main activity of the enterprise. JSC “ISS” was the first in the country to begin the development of low-orbit communication satellites, navigation and geodetic spacecraft, direct broadcast and retransmission satellites. In many areas, the Siberian enterprise to date has no competitors in the domestic market.

Over 55 years of space activity, relying on high scientific and personnel potential, Information Satellite Systems JSC named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev "created a powerful production-technological and experimental base. During this period, the company's specialists produced more than 1,200 spacecraft for various purposes, on the basis of which over 40 multi-satellite systems and complexes were formed in all orbits. For the solution of strategically important tasks of national and international scale, the company was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Red Banner of Labor. More than 80 employees of JSC “ISS” were awarded the Lenin Prize, the State Prize of the USSR, and the Prize of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Russian Federation.

History - 1959-1970

Time from 1959 to 1970 - This is the period of formation of the enterprise, the definition of its specialization. The young team began its activities with the design support of the R-14 rocket developed by the Dnepropetrovsk OKB-586 under the guidance of M.K. Yangel and transferred to the production of Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant. Already in mid-January 1962, the first R-14 ballistic missile, created in Siberia, was launched from the Kapustin Yar launch site.

The first independent space project OKB-10 (this is how the enterprise began to be called after the reorganization in 1961 into an independent experimental design bureau) was the creation of a launch vehicle of the light class of the Cosmos type. It was developed on the basis of the combat R-14. On August 18, 1964, the company announced its successful launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome of the first carrier rocket 11K65 (Cosmos-3) with three experimental satellites Cosmos-38, -39, -40. Three days later, space-based communications devices Strela-1 (Cosmos-42 and Cosmos-43), developed by lattice computers, were put into orbit from the Kapustin Yar test site. So Siberia became a deposit not only of rockets, but also of satellites.

From the mid-60s, OKB-10 began to develop the release of the most powerful then spacecraft of the Molniya-1 type, launched into a high elliptical orbit. In 1967, three Molniya-1 satellites manufactured in Siberia were launched into space. On the basis of this type of spacecraft for the first time in the world, a communications and television broadcasting system in high elliptical orbits was created.

In parallel, the company is actively developing in the field of space-based coordinate measurement. In 1967, the successful launch of the Cyclone satellite , which simultaneously solved navigation and coherent problems. The year 1968 was marked by the launch into orbit of the country's first geodesic satellite, Sphere .

Thus, in the first decade of its existence, the Siberian enterprise, renamed KBPM (Design Bureau of Applied Mechanics) in 1966, laid the foundation for several areas of satellite construction, including the creation of personal communications, navigation and geodesy spacecraft.

History - 1971-1980

In the 1970s, developed by the team of M.F. Reshetnev satellite systems based on the Strela-1 and Strela-2 spacecraft, providing communication in hard-to-reach areas where it was impossible to use conventional ground-based communications. At this time, the CB PM are gaining momentum in the field of navigation. Along with the release of the Cyclone spacecraft in low circular orbits, new navigation and communications satellites Cyclone-B and Cicada begin to operate. And by the end of the decade, the company is embarking on design work to create a fundamentally new global navigation satellite system in medium circular orbits, called GLONASS.

Domestic geodesy developed on the basis of the Sfera satellites created by the lattice. Thanks to the work of the space complex of the same name in 1977, a model of the Earth was created in the country and a world geodetic network was built. At the same time, the company began the development of geodesic satellites of the new generation Geo-IK.

Great successes in the 1970s were achieved in the field of telecommunications. The Molniya-1 , Molniya-2 and Molniya-3 satellites, in addition to working in the interests of special consumers, provided television broadcasting using Orbit ground stations located throughout the country.

The development of the geostationary orbit became one of the main achievements of the Reshetnev population in this decade. A little more than a year passed after the launch of the experimental satellite Molniya-1C , and in December 1975, the Raduga spacecraft , designed for telephone communications and the transmission of a television signal to the network of Orbit stations, was launched. This event marked a new era in the national space program. And in 1978, the launch of the Horizon satellite , or as it was also called the Olympic reserve satellite, took place , since spacecraft of this type were created to ensure the transmission of television and radio information from the Olympics-80, which took place in Moscow.

In this decade, the Siberian enterprise has made another breakthrough. They were the creation of a spacecraft direct television broadcast "Ekran" , on the basis of which was formed the world's first satellite system NTV. In 1977, by order of the Ministry of General Engineering, the Scientific and Production Association of Applied Mechanics (NPO PM) was formed, which included KBPM (head) and Mechanical Plant. Mikhail Fyodorovich Reshetnev was appointed Director General and Chief Designer of NPO PM.

History - 1981-1990

NPO PM pursues a course on the development of satellite communications and broadcasting systems, navigation, geodesy. The launches and operation of spacecraft of the Strela, Molniya, Raduga, Ekran and Horizon series continue. In 1981, a geodesic spacecraft of a new generation, Geo-IK, was launched into orbit . With the help of a space complex on the basis of this type of satellites, two geocentric models of the Earth's field were created, its shape was determined, and the world astronomic-geodesic network was built.

A new word in the field of space navigation was the launch in 1982 of the first navigation satellite Glonass to the medium circular orbit . This event marked the beginning of the formation of the global navigation satellite system of the same name, which later became the national treasure of the country.

In the 1980s, NPO PM achieved significant success in the field of satellite relaying. In 1982, the Potok spacecraft was launched into orbit . Three years later, the launch of the first Luch satellite repeater took place . Both devices have become the embodiment of advanced technology and in many technical characteristics ahead of the demands of the time.

History - 1991-2000

The team of NPO PM continued the work on the creation of the GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System. In early 1991, its flight tests were completed, and in 1993 it was commissioned as part of 12 satellites. By the end of 1995, 24 Glonass spacecraft were operating in orbit , that is, the system began to function in its regular composition.

In order to develop the direction of personal communication in NPO PM, the Gonets-D satellite was developed . Spacecraft of this type confirmed the possibility of organizing civil satellite communications such as “e-mail” and formed the basis of the low-orbit Gonets-D1 system.

During these years, the first satellite in the history of the enterprise was created, which was used exclusively for civilian purposes. They became the Gals spacecraft , intended for television broadcasting in the international frequency range. In parallel with it, the Express fixed satellite is being created and is being launched into orbit.

For such civilian spacecraft as the Gals and Express, on the territory of NPO PM, the experimental Flight Control Center and the Ground Satellite Control Complex were created and started operating in 1994

One of the key events of this decade was the launch of NPO PM at the international level. In 1995, the company began developing a SESAT telecommunications satellite for the Eutelsat telecom operator. The spacecraft was created in cooperation with the French company Alcatel Space (now - Thales Alenia Space). Thus, NPO PM became the first enterprise in the country's space industry to enter into a contract with a foreign customer. The Siberian-European satellite was launched into orbit in 2000. It became the most powerful satellite created in Russia at that time and marked the beginning of the company's long-term cooperation with the largest space companies in the world.

Simultaneously with the implementation of the SESAT project at NPO PM, the Express-A fixed-line satellite for the Russian orbital fleet was developed and manufactured.

History - 2001-2010

The development of satellite telecommunications in this decade was the Express-AM program, which marked the creation of qualitatively new spacecraft for communications, television broadcasting, and data transmission. In total, during this period, the company developed and manufactured 7 spacecraft of this series.

In the 2000s, work began on the creation of a Gornet-D1M low-orbit personal satellite communications system based on the Gonets-M spacecraft . In addition to communication and data transmission, the system is designed to monitor the location of various objects, environmental and scientific monitoring.

In the beginning of the XXI century, the company resumed work in the field of satellite relaying. The specialists of the JSC “ISS” have begun to create a multi-functional space relay system “Luch”. Its satellites are designed to provide communication with low-flying spacecraft and rocket and space technology objects, such as launch vehicles and upper stages, as well as with the Russian segment of the International Space Station. This project is also significant because, when creating satellites, an enterprise for the first time acted as a developer and manufacturer of not only a module of service systems, but also an onboard relay complex of control and management.

One of the priority issues not only for the company, but also for the whole country was the replenishment and modernization of the GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System. Due to economic reasons, the composition of its orbital grouping has sharply decreased in the previous decade. In this regard, the company is working at an accelerated pace on the production of upgraded Glonass-M spacecraft and the development of new-generation Glonass-K satellites.

As part of the reform of the space industry in Russia in 2008, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Scientific and Production Association of Applied Mechanics named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev ”was transformed into the open joint-stock company“ Information Satellite Systems ”named after academician M.F. Reshetnev. The company continues to solve strategically important tasks in the interests of the country's defense and socio-economic development. This was confirmed by the holding of an on-site meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation in 2008 on the basis of JSC “ISS”, whose work was headed by Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

The period from 2001 to 2010 is also a new stage in the development of international cooperation. The company has concluded a number of contracts for the development and production of telecommunications spacecraft in the interests of foreign customers.

History - Since 2011

At the present stage of development, the company continues to participate in the implementation of government programs in the field of space activities, as well as work on commercial projects.

In 2011, the first navigation satellite of the new generation Glonass-K was launched into orbit , and the orbital grouping of the Global Navigation Satellite System again began to work in full force - 24 spacecraft. The company has successfully tested the tandem launch scheme. It involves the installation of two spacecraft one above the other under the fairing of the launch vehicle. The tandem scheme was used when launching the satellites Luch-5A and AMOS-5 , Luch-5B and Yamal-300K , Luch-5B and KazSat-3.

The system of personal communications in low Gonets - D1M orbits is also developing. Along with the production of the Gonets-M spacecraft , advanced Gonets-M1 satellites are being developed.

In the area of ??production of connected satellites, the enterprise set a course for creating its own payloads. The first success in this direction is the design and manufacture of the Luch-5A, Luch-5B and Luch-5V satellite relays.

The capacity of telecommunications spacecraft, which are currently being created at the enterprise on the basis of satellite platforms of the Express 1000 (middle class) and Express 2000 (heavy class) families, has been significantly increased. A fundamentally new technical solution was used in the manufacture of satellites weighing over 3 tons of electric propulsion system, which allows launching heavy spacecraft, more effectively using the capabilities of available launch vehicles.

In 2015, on the basis of the Federal Law of May 5, 2014 No. 99-FZ, Open Joint-Stock Company “Information Satellite Systems” named after academician M.F. Reshetnev ”renamed to Joint Stock Company“ Information Satellite Systems ”named after academician M.F. Reshetnev.