Zheleznogorsk Center

The Zheleznogorsk Satellite Communications Centre (SCC), a branch of the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), was established on May 27, 2004 as an eastern point of the company’s ground control complex. Numerous antenna systems of different purpose are deployed at the Zheleznogorsk SCC. The facilities for providing communications services to consumers in the vast region of Siberia, Far East and Polar regions have been created, technologies are being tested and experience in this field is being accumulated.

History

The history of the Zheleznogorsk SCC started long before its official including into the RSCC structure. In the early 1990s, the idea of controlling civilian communications and broadcasting spacecraft by satellite developers and manufacturers was proposed. In Zheleznogorsk, the Civilian Communications Satellite Control Centre (CCSCC) was established on the site of Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems JSC, then known as the Applied Mechanics Research and Production Association. The centre was created by Persey Company, established in 1992 by the RSCC, Informkosmos and Intersputnik in cooperation with the leading space industry enterprises.

The first spacecraft operated by the Civilian Communications Satellite Control Centre established by Persey was the direct broadcast satellite Gals. Later, the Centre's technical facilities were used to control satellites of the Express and Express-A series.

In 2003, the Alternate Mission Control Centre for spacecraft of the Express-AM series (AMCC-AM was established at the SCC, due to which the service system module was tested and spacecraft Express-AM22, Express-AM11, Express-AM1, Express-AM2, Express-AM3, Express-AM33, Express-AM44, Express-AM8, were put to their operating positions, as well as the spacecraft Express-AM5, Express-AM6, Express-80, Express-103, Express-AMU3 and Express-AMU7 were raised to the GSO and put to the operating positions and the service system module of these spacecraft was tested.

After the Zheleznogorsk SCC was affiliated to the RSCC in 2004, the Eastern Ground Control Station had been established there to provide spacecraft control in the eastern arc of the geostationary orbit, as well as the RSCC Ground Monitoring and Measurement Complex for orbital testing and monitoring of the RSCC spacecraft trunks in the geostationary orbit from 96.5° to 145° East.