Yamal-601 Satellite in Orbit

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, June 1, 2019 — The Yamal-601 telecommunications satellite, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space for the Russian operator Gazprom Space Systems (GSS), is now going through in orbit testing after its successful launch on May 30 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by a Proton M/Breeze M rocket.

The satellite will provide fixed communications, broadcast and Internet access services.

Thales Alenia Space was program prime contractor, in charge of satellite design, production and turnkey delivery, along with control software for the ground segment.

Based on the Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000C4 platform, Yamal-601 is fitted with 18 C-band transponders, to cover Russia, neighboring CIS countries, the Middle East and part of Southeast Asia, and a Ka-band payload with 32 spotbeams for the Western part of Russia as well as West Siberia. It weighed 5.4 metric tons at launch, with 7.3 kW of payload power and a design life exceeding 15 years. Yamal-601 will replace Yamal-202 at the 49°E orbital position and provide extended coverage.

“After establishing an excellent relationship through the Yamal-200 and Yamal-400 families, we are delighted to help Gazprom Space Systems continue to grow its in-orbit capacity,” said Jean Loïc Galle, Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space. “We are also proud to have provided the most powerful communications satellite operating in Russian orbital slots, in term of bandwidth.”

Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond.

Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of about 2.5 billion euros in 2018 and has around 8,000 employees in nine countries.