Ukraine and Satellite Communication Systems

With its considerable space technology experience and expertise gained during the USSR years, Ukraine views the development of a multi-purpose national space program as a logical move and consistent with its military conversion policies. Early on the National Space Agency of Ukraine set telecommunications and remote sensing as its initial objectives. While Ukraine already possessed considerable experience in the latter, e.g., via the USSR Okean program, communications satellites had previously been a primarily Russian endeavor.

An early concept by the Ukrainian-Russian company Ariadne envisioned establishing a LEO constellation of small communications satellites which could be launched by Ukraine's Tsyklon booster. Later, government emphasis switched to a GEO communications system which might rely on foreign assistance to develop the spacecraft and which could be launched by the Zenit-3 was under development. As late as December, 1993, the National Space Agency hoped to launch two, "television and communications" spacecraft manufactured by the Yuzhnoye design bureau by the year 2000.

The 1.2-metric-ton spacecraft would be able to service Ku-band needs. However, by early 1994, Ukraine had reached an agreement with Matra Marconi (after more than a year of discussions) to provide a communications spacecraft to Ukraine for launch in 1997 under the Lebid program. Ukraine also applied to the ITU for a GEO position of 64.5 degrees E to support X-band communications (References 407-414).

The telecommunications satellite Lybid was built by ISS-Reshetnev Company for Canadian company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) in the interest of Ukraine. Within the framework of this project ISS-Reshetnev is responsible for the development, manufacture, testing of the satellite, its pre-launch preparations and in-orbit commissioning to the customer. MDA, in its turn, delivered a repeater system and antennas for the satellite.

Lybid was to make communications, television broadcasting and data transmission services available to users in Ukraine, India and Africa. The satellite was built around an advanced Express-1000HT platform. It had a projected active lifetime of 15 years, a mass of around 1800 kilograms and payload power of 5880 W. The satellite is equipped with 30 Ku-band transponders.

In 2009 the State Space Agency of Ukraine and the Canadian corporation “MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates” (MDA) signed an agreement to design a national satellite communications system “Lybid” (which would also be used for military purposes). The MDA acted as the general contractor. Under that contract, all issues relative to designing and launching satellite were within the MDA’s competence, which was committed to handing over the satellite to the customer – the Ukrainian space enterprise “Ukrkosmos” – after putting it into orbit.

The project funding, secured by the borrowed government funds in 2009, guaranteed a loan of USD 254.6 million received from the export agency Export Development Canada (EDS). Initially, the launch of the “Lybid” satellite was scheduled for 2012, but the date was repeatedly rescheduled for various reasons.

As of April 2009, the Ukrainian National Space Agency was planning to launch a Ukrainian communications satellite by September 2011. Ukraine's first communications satellite, Lybid, was then scheduled to launch in 2013. However, the launch was postponed for technical reasons. The satellite was built under the National Space Program and was to be operated by Ukrkosmos. The communications payload was provided by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) of Canada.

On the initiative of the Ukrainian party, the Seychelles factoring company “Briklin Limited” joined the contract, and thereafter lost 8 million US dollars, intended for the enterprise “Yuzhmash”. The latter was supposed to construct a launch vehicle “Zenit” to put the satellite into orbit. As is well known, it never happened.

Construction of the Lybid satellite was completed in 2016. It was moved to special facilities at ISS-Reshetnev’s site for safekeeping where it will be stored until the customer makes a decision on its launch date.

In 2017 it became aware that the launch of the first Ukrainian satellite into orbit was impossible because of the Canadian party’s failure to fulfill its obligations due to financial troubles. Ukraine planned to put its first communications satellite Lybid into orbit in 2018. This was announced 17 November 2017 by Chairman of the State Space Agency of Ukraine Pavlo Dehtiarenko.

"The critical issues of the project implementation [creating and putting into operation the national satellite communications system with a geostationary communications satellite Lybid] have not been solved for a long time. This led to the accumulation of a set of problems, which now constitute a sufficiently serious challenge the agency must cope with. We have found the support of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine regarding the further financing for the completion of this project. We expect that the planned steps will allow us to fulfill the entire range of works necessary to finally put the first Ukrainian communications satellite into orbit in the second half of 2018," he said.

The Canadian multinational corporation “MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates” (MDA) decided in December 2017 to withdraw from the project on designing and putting into orbit the first Ukrainian telecom satellite “Lybid”. All the blame is the disappearance of a large sum of money in the Seychelles offshore, – as stated in the investigative report of “Hromadske TV”.

The State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) planned to launch the first Ukrainian communications satellite “Lybid” in August next year. This will be possible if the Canadian contractor resumes its work on the project before the end of this year. It was stated 21 September 2018 by Pavel Degtyarenko, Chairman of the State Space Agency.

“For a start, we need to invite the Canadians to the project (the Canadian contractor MDA Corporation), we have almost a year to establish a dialogue with them, and then eight months will be spent on preparing this launch (of the “Lybid” satellite). Once we can resume dialogue with our contractor this year, we will be able to prepare the launch and roughly in August next year we will send the vehicle into space”, as he said.

At the same time, according to him, a pessimistic scenario for the project implementation is possible as well. “The worst scenario is that they (the Canadian contractor MDA Corporation) will begin to oppose, so we will finish the trial in the London Court of Arbitration, and I’m looking forward to winning it. They will pay back our money, being liable to construct a new vehicle”, as he stated.

As of 2023, due to the Ukraine conflict, the future of this project was uncertain. The satellite has been completed and remains in storage. It is unclear, if or when a launch of Lybid 1 will take place.