Company history

History of JSC “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems” has started more than 60 years ago. The company was founded in 1959 as the eastern branch of S. P. Korolev Special Design Bureau-1 (OKB-1) and was located in Krasnoyarsk-26 (now Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region). M. F. Reshetnev (a student and associate of S. P. Korolev) was appointed its head.

Initially the fledging company started off with design supervision of ballistic missiles serial production, but in the early 1960s it embarked upon developing a lightweight launch vehicle of the Kosmos family and small communications spacecrafts. Since then the satellites creation has become the key activity of the company.

JSC RESHETNEV was the first company in the country that started the development of low-orbit communications, direct TV broadcasting and data relay satellites, as well as navigation and geodetic spacecrafts. In many activity areas, the Siberian company still has no competitors in the domestic market.

Within more than 60 years of space activity, relying on the high scientific and personnel potential, JSC “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems” has built a powerful production, technological and experimental base. During this period the company's specialists created about 1300 spacecrafts of various purposes, on the basis of which over 40 multi-satellite systems and complexes in all orbits were formed. The company was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for solving strategically important tasks of national and international scale.

1959-1970

The period from 1959 to 1970 was mainly dedicated to the enterprise development and definition of its activity direction. The fledging company started off with design supervision of the R-14 missile, which had been developed by Special Design Bureau-586 of Dnepropetrovsk led by M. K. Yangel. This missile later was transferred into production at the Krasnoyarsk Machine Building Plant. As early as mid-January 1962, the first ballistic missile R-14, created in Siberia, was launched from the Kapustin Yar launch site.

In 1961 the enterprise was reorganized and renamed to Special Design Bureau-10. The first independent space project of the company was the creation of a lightweight launch vehicle of the Kosmos family. It was developed on the basis of ballistic missile R-14. The company made a name for itself on August 18, 1964 when the first launch vehicle 11K65 (Kosmos-3) carrying three experimental satellites Kosmos-38, -39, -40 was successfully launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Only three days later, the Strela-1 communications satellites (Kosmos-42 and Kosmos-43) developed by Reshetnev’s team were launched into orbit from the Kapustin Yar launch site. So, Siberia has started the production of not only carrier rockets, but also satellites.

Since the mid-1960s, Special Design Bureau-10 began developing the production of the most powerful spacecraft of that time, the Molniya-1 family, to be launched into a high elliptical orbit. In 1967, three Molniya-1 satellites built in Siberia were launched into space. On the basis of these satellites a communication and broadcasting system was created in high elliptical orbits for the first time in the world.

In parallel, the company was actively developing in the field of space coordinate measurement. In 1967, the Tsiklon satellite was successfully launched; this satellite successfully provided navigational and communications services at the same time. 1968 year was marked by the launch into orbit of the first Sfera domestic geodetic satellite.

Thus, already in its first decade of existence, the Siberian enterprise (in 1966 it was renamed into KB PM (Design Bureau of Applied Mechanics)), maid the beginning for several trends in satellite engineering, including creation of personal communications, navigation and geodetic satellites.

1971-1980

In the 1970s, satellite systems based on the Strela-1 and Strela-2 spacecrafts developed by the team of M. F. Reshetnev continued to operate in orbit, providing communications in hard-to-reach areas, where the use of conventional ground-based communications means was impossible.

At this time, KB PM was gaining momentum in the field of navigation. Along with the production of the Tsiklon spacecraft, the new navigation and communications satellites Tsiklon-B and Tsikada were put into operation in low circular orbits. And by the end of the decade, the company started design work to create a fundamentally new global navigation satellite system in medium circular orbits, called GLONASS.

Domestic geodesy developed on the basis of Sfera satellites, created by Reshetnev’s team. Thanks to the operation of the Sfera space complex, a model of the Earth was created and a world geodetic network was built in 1977. At the same time the company began to develop a new generation of GEO-IK geodetic satellites.

Great strides have been made in the field of telecommunications. The Molniya-1, Molniya-2 and Molniya-3 satellites, in addition to operation for special customers, provided TV broadcasting using Orbita ground stations placed throughout the country.

One of the main achievements of the Reshetnev’s team in this decade was the development of the geostationary orbit. A little over a year after the launch of the experimental Molniya-1C satellite, in December 1975, the Raduga spacecraft was launched to the geostationary orbit; this satellite was designed for phone communications and TV signal transmission to the Orbita network of ground stations. This event marked a new era in Russian cosmonautics. In 1978 the Gorizont satellite was launched; it was also known as the “Olympic Order” satellite, since these kinds of satellites were designed to provide TV and radio data transmission from the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow.

In the same decade, the Siberian enterprise made another breakthrough. It was the creation of the Ekran direct broadcasting spacecraft, which formed the basis of the world's first satellite NTV system.

1981-1990

NPO PM follows the course to develop the satellite communications, broadcasting, navigation and geodetic systems. The launches and operation of spacecrafts of the Strela, Molniya, Raduga, Ekran, and Gorizont families continue. In 1981, a new generation geodetic satellite (GEO-IK) was launched into orbit. With the help of space complex based on the satellites of this type two geocentric models of the Earth's field were created, its shape was defined, the world's astronomical and geodetic network was built.

The first GLONASS navigation satellite launched into a medium circular orbit in 1982 was a new word in the field of space navigation. This event initiated the deployment of the global navigation satellite system of the same name, which later became the national property of the country.

In the 1980s, NPO PM achieved significant progress in the field of satellite data relay. In 1982, the Potok spacecraft was launched into orbit. Three years later, the first Loutch data relay satellite was launched. Both satellites embodied the advanced technologies and in many technical features surpassed the requirements of the time.

1991-2000

NPO PM team continued to work on the deployment of the GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System. In early 1991, its flight tests were completed, and in 1993 it was put into operation with 12 satellites. By the end of 1995 24 GLONASS spacecrafts were operating in orbit, i.e. the system began to operate in the nominal mode.

To develop the personal communications direction, NPO PM built the Gonets-D satellite. Spacecraft of this family verified the feasibility of civil satellite communications of the e-mail type and formed the basis of a Gonets-D1 low-orbit system.

During these years, the first company satellite designed for TV broadcasting in the international frequency range was built. It was named the Gals spacecraft. At the same time, Express fixed communications satellite was created and launched into orbit.

The experimental Mission Control Center and Ground Control Complex for civil satellites such as Gals and Express were created and began operating in 1994 at the NPO PM premises.

One of the key events of this decade was the entry of NPO PM into the international market. In 1995 the company began developing the SESAT telecommunications satellite for the Eutelsat telecom operator. The spacecraft was created in cooperation with the French Alcatel Space company (now Thales Alenia Space). Thus, NPO PM became the first enterprise in the domestic space industry to sign a contract with a foreign customer. The Siberian-European satellite was put into orbit in 2000. At that time it was the most powerful spacecraft created in Russia and marked the beginning of long-term cooperation with the largest space companies in the world.

Simultaneously with the SESAT project, NPO PM developed and manufactured the Express-A fixed communications satellite for the Russian orbital fleet.

2001-2010

The development of satellite telecommunications in this decade resulted in the Express-AM program, which marked the creation of qualitatively new spacecrafts to provide communications, TV broadcasting and data relay. In total, during this period the company has developed and manufactured seven spacecrafts of this family.

In 2000s, the development of Gonets-D1M low-orbit satellite personal communications system based on Gonets-M spacecraft was started. In addition to communications and data relay, the system is designed to monitor the location of various objects, environmental and scientific monitoring.

The company resumed work in the field of satellite data relay. Specialists of Reshetnev’s company started building the Loutch multifunctional space data relay system. The satellites of this system are designed to provide communications with low-flying satellites and rocket-space technology objects, such as launch vehicles and upper stages, as well as with the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The fact that it was the first time the company developed and produced not only the platform, but also the repeater makes this project very significant.

Replenishment and updating of the GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System was one of the priority issues not only for the company, but also for the whole country. For economic reasons, the satellite number in this orbital constellation sharply decreased in the previous decade. In this regard, the company is working at an accelerated pace to create the updated GLONASS-M satellites and develop a new generation of GLONASS-K satellites.

As part of the reform of the Russian space industry in 2008 the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Academician M. F. Reshetnev Scientific Production Association of Applied Mechanics” was transformed into the Open Joint Stock Company “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems”. It continues to solve strategically important tasks in the interests of the country's defense capability and socio-economic development. This was evidenced by the offsite meeting of the Russian Government, which was chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held at JSC ISS.

The period from 2001 to 2010 is a new stage in the development of international cooperation. The company has signed a number of contracts for the development and production of telecommunications spacecrafts for foreign customers.

2011-2020

The Siberian Satellite Company is one of the key participants in the implementation of state programs in the field of space activities. In addition, in the second decade of the new century the company continues to participate in commercial projects, including international ones.

In 2011 the first GLONASS-K new generation navigation satellite was put into orbit; and the orbital constellation of the Global Navigation Satellite System started operation again in its full strength of 24 spacecrafts.

The company has successfully tested a tandem launch scheme. It involves the installation of two spacecrafts one above the other under the payload fairing of the launch vehicle. The tandem scheme was used to launch the Loutch-5A and AMOS-5 satellites, Loutch-5B and Yamal-300K, Loutch-5V and KazSat-3 satellites, as well as the new Express spacecrafts.

The Gonets D1M system of personal communications in low orbits is being developed. Along with the production of the Gonets-M spacecraft, the development of updated Gonets-M1 satellites is underway.

In the field of communications satellites production, the company took a course to create its own payloads. The first success in this direction was the design and manufacture of the Loutch-5A, Loutch-5B and Loutch-5V data relay satellites.

The throughput capacity of telecommunications spacecrafts, which were created at the enterprise on the basis of Express-1000 satellite platforms (medium-class) and Express-2000 (heavy-class) platform families, was significantly increased. A fundamentally new technical solution was the use of an electric propulsion subsystem in the manufacture of satellites weighing over 3 tons, which makes it possible to launch heavy spacecrafts more effectively using the capabilities of existing launch vehicles.

The company is also actively involved in scientific space projects. The Millimetron mission stands out among them. For this space observatory, Reshetnev’s team was building a part of the payload – a 10-meter telescope with a system of cooling screens. In addition, the production of power conditioning unit for the electric power subsystem of the landing module of the ExoMars 2020 international spacecraft was successfully completed in 2019.

In 2015, on the basis of Federal Law No. 99-FZ of May 5, 2014, Open Joint Stock Company “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems” was renamed into Joint Stock Company “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems”.

From 2021

The development of multi-satellite systems, which are included in the Sfera federal project, is a priority for “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems”. The first of them, the Marafon system, provides for the creation and launch into low Earth orbit of several hundred fundamentally new small spacecrafts to provide Internet of Things services. The second large-scale project is the medium-orbit Skif system for the development of broadband Internet access. The company also faces the task of creating the Express-RV system on a high elliptical orbit, in which four satellites of the same name will provide subscribers with access to public communications networks, including the Internet information and telecommunications network.

In order to deploy multi-satellite constellations under the Sfera project, the company switches to the technology of serial production of spacecrafts. In solving this problem, well-established cooperation with scientific and educational partners help RESHETNEV company, which in the recent history has reached a qualitatively new, system level. Today, JSC RESHETNEV is the leader in terms of cooperation with educational and scientific institutions both in the industry and in the country. Such collaboration creates dozens of new space materials, structures and onboard devices for satellites, as well as equipment for their testing and mission application.

RESHETNEV company continues to maintain the GLONASS orbital constellation. At the same time it remains the only manufacturer of navigation, data-relay and geodetic satellites in the country. Updating the systems based on them is one of the most important tasks being solved by the Siberian satellite company in the interests of socio-economic development of the country.

Today, the “Academician M. F. Reshetnev “Information Satellite Systems” company is the largest center of basic satellite production technologies, which make it possible to successfully implement any project. Relying on the experience of the previous six decades, modern production facilities, wide scientific cooperation, high-quality personnel training and professional team, Zheleznogorsk enterprise is fully prepared to fulfill the tasks set for it by Russia.