A stone's throw from the satellite: a sign indicating the distance to RSCC satellite has been installed in Antarctica

A sign indicating the distance from the Bellingshausen station in Antarctica to Express-AM8, a satellite of RSCC located at 14° W in geostationary orbit has been installed. Spacecraft is located 40,502 km from the position of the Russian scientific expedition on King George Island and provides the Bellingshausen station with Russian TV channels and communications.

Currently, TV programs are received using the capacity of the Express-AM8 and Express-103 satellites (located at 96.5° E) at five stations: Bellingshausen, Novolazarevskaya, Vostok, Progress, and Mirny. Moreover, communication services are distributed from the same spacecraft to six Antarctic expeditions: Bellingshausen, Novolazarevskaya, Vostok, Progress, Mirny (Russia) and Mount Vechernyaya (Republic of Belarus).

It is especially important for polar explorers, who are living and working for several months in the harsh conditions of the South Pole, to always stay in touch with their loved ones as well as to be aware of the latest events in the world.