Article Posted on : - Sep 07, 2011

Artistic rendition of the Express-AM4 satellite that got lost in space last month. An Astrium photo

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia will put in orbit a new satellite by 2015 as a replacement for its newly-launched communications satellite Express-AM4 which got lost in space last month.

The new satellite will be put to orbit before 2015, Space Communications Deputy General Director Yevgeny Buidinov said during an international conference in Russia.

“A new satellite will be launched before 2015 to replace Express-AM4. It will be named Express-AM4r, r stands for reserve,” the official was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency.

“The construction of the same satellite with the same blueprints will be the quickest way to replace the lost satellite,” he said.

Russia had launched the 1,450 kg Express-AM4 communications satellite on board its workhorse Proton-M carrier rocket on August 18.

The EADS Astrium-built satellite was to provide digital telecast and broadband internet access to the Russian and CIS subscribers.

However, the ground control lost contact with the spacecraft within hours of launch due to malfunctioning of the rocket’s Briz-M booster stage.

Russia grounded the Proton-M rockets following the launch failure.