Yamal-401 satellite to be launched by Gazprom this year
Gazprom Space Systems, a Russian communications satellite operator and developer, is happy to announce that it will be launching its Yamal-401 satellite by the end of 2013, to be followed by its Yamal-601 spacecraft in 2015.
The Yamal-401 satellite will take the place of Gazprom’s Yamal-201, while the Yamal-601 will succeed the Yamal-202 respectively, joining the Yamal-300K space probe launched last year.
A telecommunications satellite also sent into orbit in December of last year, Yamal-402 was unsuccessful in reaching its designated orbit after a pump bearing failed during launch. Thales Alenia Space, which built the satellite for Russia’s Gazprom Space Systems, lifted the satellite into its designated orbit using its onboard engines. However, the service life of the satellite is now decreased to 11 years from the original 15 years, because some of its fuel reserves were used for emergency purposes.
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