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Russia Spending $800 Million To Replace Aging Satellite Network
By Interfax
posted: 05:18 pm ET
09 April 2001
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BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Interfax) - Russia plans to spend $800 million over the next four years to replace the national satellite cluster, the head of state company Space Communications (GPKS), Boris Antonyuk, said at Saturdays launch of a new Ekran-M telBAIKONUR,Kazakhstan (Interfax) - Russia plans to spend $800 million over the nextfour years to replace the national satellite cluster, the head of statecompany Space Communications (GPKS), Boris Antonyuk, said at Saturdayslaunch of a new Ekran-M television satellite from the Baikonur space center.GPKS is the operator of thenational satellite network, which consists of eleven satellites, sevenof which, Antonyuk said, have lived out their guaranteed service life andmust be replaced over the next three to four years with modern satellitesequipped with more transponder channels. There are currently 80 transponderchannels in operation, including 44 on three new satellites put into orbitlast year. By 2005, when Russia plans to completely replace the satellitecluster, GPKS is expected to have 220 channels, with demand expected toreach 180 channels.Antonyuk said the main sourcesof financing for the program will be loans and income from commercial satelliteservices. GPKS plans to invest $120 million of its own money over the periodthrough 2004. This year Sberbank has extendeda loan of $49 million to GPKS to build an Express-A communications satellite.The company is also in negotiations with the state savings bank for a majorcredit line to finance the production of three new satellites that willcost a total of $200 million.
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