On April 23, 2010 the 45th anniversary from launching the first Russian communications satellite Molniya-1 is celebrated

23.04 : 2010

In 1961, the Korolev prototype design bureau started research & development of the satellite Molniya-1, which had to transmit one TV program and to provide multi-channel telegraphic and telephonic communications. The General designer of the satellite was M.P. Kappanov. On April 23, 1961 the third in succession and the first successful  launch of the soviet communications satellite Molniya-1 took place.

The next day after delivering the satellite into orbit, the communication session  via space between Moscow and Vladivostok was performed in the Soviet Union for the first time. B.E. Chertok, one of the immediate participants of developing the satellite, recalls in his book “Rockets and people. Hot days of the cold war”. “We checked the operation of the whole communications complex on the Moscow – Vladivostok line with the passion of gamblers that were lucky after a streak of bad luck. We so much wanted to show the 1st  May demonstration and the parade on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Great victory in  World War 2 to the Far East and  the marine parade of the Pacific navy in Vladivostok to Moscow. And we made it!”

Since 1967 the TV signal translations via Orbita system using the domestic spacecraft of Molniya-1 series became regular. To meet the tasks of establishing communications channels and distributing the state TV&Radio programs through the satellite communications satellite systems, the Union’s TV&Radio Communications Center No.9 was founded in February 1968. With the time it became the main state operator of the space constellation of communications satellites – the Russian Satellite Communications Company.