Ekspress MD2
Russian communications satellite
title: "Ekspress MD2" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["spacecraft-launched-in-2012", "satellites-using-the-yakhta-bus", "spacecraft-launched-by-proton-rockets", "ekspress-satellites"] description: "Russian communications satellite" topic_path: "general/spacecraft-launched-in-2012" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekspress_MD2" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Russian communications satellite ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox spaceflight"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Ekspress-MD2 |
| names_list | Express-MD2 |
| image_size | 300px |
| mission_type | Communications |
| operator | Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) |
| COSPAR_ID | 2012-044B |
| SATCAT | 38745 |
| website | https://eng.rscc.ru/ |
| mission_duration | 10 years (planned) |
| Failed on orbit (achieved) | |
| spacecraft | Ekspress-MD2 |
| spacecraft_type | Ekspress-MD |
| spacecraft_bus | Yakhta modified |
| manufacturer | Khrunichev (bus) |
| Alcatel Alenia Space (payload) | |
| launch_mass | 1140 kg |
| power | 1300 watts |
| launch_date | 6 August 2012, 19:31:00 UTC |
| launch_rocket | Proton-M / Briz-M |
| launch_site | Baikonur, Site 81/24 |
| launch_contractor | Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center |
| entered_service | Failed on orbit |
| orbit_reference | Geocentric orbit |
| orbit_regime | Medium Earth orbit |
| Geostationary orbit (planned) | |
| orbit_longitude | 145° East (planned) |
| orbit_periapsis | 272 km |
| orbit_apoapsis | 4770 km |
| orbit_inclination | 49.90° |
| orbit_period | 139.09 minutes |
| apsis | gee |
| trans_band | 9 transponders: |
| 8 × 40 Mhz C-band | |
| 1 × 1 MHz L-band | |
| trans_bandwidth | 321 MHz |
| trans_coverage | Russia, CIS countries |
| insignia_size | 200px |
| programme | Ekspress constellation |
| previous_mission | Ekspress-AM4 |
| next_mission | Ekspress-AM5 |
| :: |
| name = Ekspress-MD2 | names_list = Express-MD2 | image = | image_caption = | image_size = 300px | mission_type = Communications | operator = Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) | COSPAR_ID = 2012-044B | SATCAT = 38745 | website = https://eng.rscc.ru/ | mission_duration = 10 years (planned) Failed on orbit (achieved) | spacecraft = Ekspress-MD2 | spacecraft_type = Ekspress-MD | spacecraft_bus = Yakhta modified | manufacturer = Khrunichev (bus) Alcatel Alenia Space (payload) | launch_mass = 1140 kg | dry_mass = | dimensions = | power = 1300 watts | launch_date = 6 August 2012, 19:31:00 UTC | launch_rocket = Proton-M / Briz-M | launch_site = Baikonur, Site 81/24 | launch_contractor = Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | entered_service = Failed on orbit | disposal_type = | last_contact = | decay_date = | orbit_reference = Geocentric orbit | orbit_regime = Medium Earth orbit Geostationary orbit (planned) | orbit_longitude = 145° East (planned) | orbit_periapsis = 272 km | orbit_apoapsis = 4770 km | orbit_inclination = 49.90° | orbit_period = 139.09 minutes | apsis = gee | trans_band = 9 transponders: 8 × 40 Mhz C-band 1 × 1 MHz L-band | trans_frequency = | trans_bandwidth = 321 MHz | trans_capacity = | trans_coverage = Russia, CIS countries | insignia = | insignia_caption = | insignia_size = 200px | programme = Ekspress constellation | previous_mission = Ekspress-AM4 | next_mission = Ekspress-AM5
Ekspress-MD2 was a Russian communications satellite which was lost due to a launch failure on 6 August 2012. Equipped with eight C-band transponders and 1 L-band transponder, it was intended to be located in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 145° East. It was the second Ekspress-MD satellite to be launched, following Ekspress-MD1 in 2009.
Launch
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Ground_track_ekspress_md2_oct_12.jpg" caption="[[Ground track]] of Ekspress-MD2"] ::
Ekspress-MD2 was launched atop a Proton-M launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage on 6 August 2012 at 19:31:00 UTC. The Indonesian Telkom-3 satellite was also carried aboard the launch vehicle. Launch occurred from Site 81/24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The first three stages of the Proton launched worked as expected and the satellites were attached to the Briz-M upper stage which would transfer them into geosynchronous orbit. The Briz-M undertakes a series of four burns with coasting stages in order to do this. The third burn was due to be 18 minutes long but the engines cut out after 7 seconds, leaving the satellites in unusable orbits.
This was the second launch failure caused by a Briz-M within twelve months as Ekspress-AM4 was lost in August 2011 due to a computer error. Other recent launch failures included three GLONASS satellites in 2011 and Mars probe Fobos-Grunt on 8 November 2011. All Proton-M launches were suspended and all Briz-M stages were recalled. This triggered discussion on the crisis in the Russian space industry with Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev quoted as saying, "We are losing authority and billions of rubles" due to the frequent launch failures. Medvedev chaired a meeting on the issue on 14 August 2012 and President Vladimir Putin had a meeting on organisational issues. One of the suggestions is that Roscosmos could be transformed into a corporation similar to Rosatom.
Investigation
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Putin,_Rogozin,_Popovkin_august_2012.jpeg" caption="Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] with [[Roscosmos]] head [[Vladimir Popovkin]] (right) and [[Dmitry Rogozin]] (left) in a meeting on problems in the space industry, August 2012."] ::
An investigation was set up by Roskosmos head Vladimir Popovkin and was headed by O.P. Skorobogatov from TsNIIMash. It was reported in early August by Russian newspaper Kommersant that the failure was caused by a fault in the fuel pipe in the Briz-M. The Khrunichev Failure Review Oversight Board found that it was caused by a faulty component in the pressurisation system.
The first Proton-M launch following this incident was the launch of Intelsat 23 on 14 October 2012. It had been postponed from August 2012 due to the launch failure. On 16 October 2012, the Briz-M exploded into eighty pieces. The director general of Khrunichev, Vladimir Nesterov, was dismissed from his post by President Vladimir Putin.
References
References
- Peat, Chris. (19 December 2013). "Express-MD2". Heavens Above.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page.
- (2012). "2012-044".
- (17 December 2017). "Ekspress-MD1, -MD2". Gunter's Space Page.
- (2012-08-08). "Russian Satellite Launch Failure Leads to Proton Launch Suspension". Space Safety Magazine.
- (2012-09-12). "Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) Concludes Investigation on Russian Federal Telkom-3/ Express MD-2 Failure". Khrunichev.
- (2012-09-06). "On Khrunichev CEO". Khrunichev.
- (2012-10-14). "Intelsat 23 on its Way to Orbit after successful Proton Launch". Spaceflight101.com.
- (2012-08-20). "Proton Launch Failure 2012 August 6". zarya.info.
- Zak, Anatoly. (2012-09-12). "Telkom-3/Ekspress-MD2 launch failure". RussianSpaceWeb.com.
- (2012-08-09). "Medvedev says space failures cost Russia prestige and cash". Reuters.
- (2012-08-31). "Working meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Director of the Federal Space Agency Vladimir Popovkin".
- (2012-08-17). "Russia's Prime Minister Wants Space Agency Overhaul By September". SPACE.com.
- (2012-08-17). "Russia Considering Roskosmos Transformation into State-Run Corporation". Satellite Today.
- (2012-08-25). "SpaceTrack Data Points to Briz-M Explosion Date/Time".
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