Gonets-M1

Gonets-M1 [ISS Reshetnev]

Gonets-M1 is a low Earth orbit communications satellite developed by JSC Reshetnev for Russia as the next-generation spacecraft for the Gonets personal satellite communication and data relay system. The satellite is designed to provide nationwide telephony services and global data relay capabilities through an expanded orbital constellation.

The Gonets-M1 program represents a significant modernization of the existing Gonets system. The upgraded constellation is planned to consist of 28 satellites operating in 1500 km altitude orbits. The system is intended to provide high-quality telephone communications across Russia while supporting worldwide data relay services with substantially increased transmission capacity.

The satellite is based on a new unpressurized platform developed by Reshetnev and designed to support group launches of multiple spacecraft. Its communications payload incorporates an active phased-array antenna, enabling significantly higher data throughput than previous generations of Gonets satellites. Gonets-M1 will operate in the P-, S-, and C-band frequency ranges, with S-band and C-band capability being introduced for the first time on a Gonets system satellite.