[FPSPACE] "Russia's Sorry Infrastructure" article (Dec 2000)

[Dwayne Allen Day]

On Mon, 4 Dec 2000 JamesOberg@aol.com wrote:

> SPACE PROJECTS IN POOR SHAPE
> Perhaps more alarmingly, Russia's network of missile launch warning 
> satellites is also collapsing. A full constellation needs 21 satellites, but 
> as of mid-1999, there were only three left, the last 
> of which had been launched in 1997. On average, the surviving payloads 
> provide only "single-string" coverage, meaning there is no possibility of a 
> launch warning being confirmed by another satellite. 
> And even that single-string coverage exists for only about half of every day. 
> Six new satellite launches are required to resume 24-hour coverage, but 
> neither the payloads nor the boosters have been funded.

This has got to be a mistake.  I think a full constellation is only 9
satellites, not 21.  As it later states, they need six, in addition to the
three up there, to complete the constellation.

Last year there was an article that stated that there was at least one
more satellite in storage on the ground, and possibly several more.  The
fact that it was not launched indicates a decision not to launch it,
possibly because of funding shortfalls.



D