Ekspress-AMU 3 [RSCC]
Official name EXPRESS AMU-3
Alternative name Ekspress-AMU 3
Cospar ID 2021-123B
Norad ID 50002
Launch date 2021-12-13
Launch site TTMTR
Launch vehicle Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.1 mod. 2)
Country/Organization Russia
Type application Communication
Operator RSCC (Kosmicheskiya Svyaz)
RCS size LARGE
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 1436.03
Inclination (deg) 0.02
Perigee (km) 35782
Apogee (km) 35788
Eccentricity 8.38340086628476E-05
Mean motion (revs. per day) 1.00276456619987
Semi-Major axis (km) 42163.135
Raan (deg) 282.5878
Arg of perigee (deg) 82.8224
Shape Box + 2 Pan
Mass (kg) 2150
Height (m) 4
Width (m) 2
Depth (m) 2
Span (m^2) 15
Lifetime 15 years
Contractors ISS Reshetnev (Bus), Thales Alenia Space (TAS) (Payload)
Equipment 20 C-band transponders, 16 Ku-band transponders, 1 L-band transponder
Configuration Ekspress-1000
Power 2 deployable solar arrays 5.9 kW (EoL), batteries

The Ekspress-AMU 3 and Ekspress-AMU 7 are two communications satellite for Russian domestic communication services. While the spacecraft themselves are built by Russian RSCC (Kosmicheskiya Svyaz), the communication payloads are built by Thales Alenia Space.

Both satellites are based on the Ekspress-1000 bus and feature 16 Ku-, 1 L- and 20 C-band transponders. The antenna layout is slightly different to allow extending the load bearing structure of AMU-3 throgh the nadir-face side to allow stacking of the satellites.

Both satellites weree launched together on a Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.1 mod. 2) booster in 2021 to their orbital positions located at 96.5° and 145° East respectively. The Briz-M upperstage shut down early and left the satellites short of the target transferorbit. The satellites can make up the underperformance using their electric propulsion systems, but it will take them longer to get to final geostationary orbit.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
EXPRESS AMU-3 2021-123B 2021-12-13 TTMTR Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.1 mod. 2) with Ekspress-AMU 7