Meridian 3 (Russian: Меридиан-3), also known as Meridian No.13L, was a Russian communications satellite. It was the third satellite to be launched as part of the Meridian system to replace the older Molniya series.
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | VKS |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-058A  |
| SATCAT no. | 37212 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | ISS Reshetnev |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 02 November 2010 (2010-11-02) |
| Rocket | Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat-M |
| Launch site | Plesetsk 43/4 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Molniya |
| Semi-major axis | 26,556 kilometres (16,501 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.6782 |
| Perigee altitude | 2,165 kilometres (1,345 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 38,191 kilometres (23,731 mi) |
| Inclination | 62.83 degrees |
| Period | 717 minutes |
| Epoch | 27 July 2014 |
Meridian 3 was launched by a Soyuz-2 rocket. The Soyuz-2.1a configuration was used, along with a Fregat-M upper stage. The launch occurred from Site 43/4 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 00:58:39 GMT on 2 November 2010.[1]
It was constructed by ISS Reshetnev and is believed to be based on the Uragan-M satellite bus,[2] which has also been used for GLONASS navigation satellites. It operates in a Molniya orbit with a perigee of 900 kilometres (560 mi), an apogee of 39,000 kilometres (24,000 mi), and 65° inclination.[2]
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