Meridian 1

This article is about the satellite. For the telephone, see Nortel Meridian.

Meridian 1 (Russian: Меридиан-1), also known as Meridian No.11L, was a Russian communications satellite. It was the first satellite to be launched as part of the Meridian system to replace the older Molniya series.

Meridian 1

Mission type	Communications
Operator	VKS
COSPAR ID	2006-061A
SATCAT no.	29668
Mission duration	less than 2 years and 5 months
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	ISS Reshetnev
Start of mission
Launch date	24 December 2006, 08:34:44 UTC (2006-12-24UTC08:34:44)
Rocket	Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat
Launch site	Plesetsk 43/4
Entered service	1 February 2007
End of mission
Disposal	Re-entered
Last contact	before May 2009 (2009-06)
Decay date	6 July 2021, 12:20 UTC (2021-07-06UTC12:21)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Molniya
Perigee altitude	2,473 kilometres (1,537 mi)
Apogee altitude	37,882 kilometres (23,539 mi)
Inclination	65 degrees
Period	717 minutes
Epoch	6 July 2014

Meridian 1 was the first Russian Government satellite to be launched by a Soyuz-2 rocket. The Soyuz-2.1a configuration was used, along with a Fregat upper stage. The launch occurred from Site 43/4 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 08:34:44 GMT on 24 December 2006.^[1]

It was constructed by ISS Reshetnev (at the time known as NPO-PM) and was believed to be based on the Uragan-M satellite bus,^[2] which has also been used for GLONASS navigation satellites. It operated in a Molniya orbit with a perigee of 900 kilometres (560 mi), an apogee of 39,000 kilometres (24,000 mi), and 65° inclination.^[2]

The satellite entered service on 1 February 2007. By May 2009 it had failed, before the end of its projected lifespan. NPO-PM reported that an impact with a piece of debris had caused the spacecraft to malfunction.^[3]

Meridian 1 re-entered on 6 July 2021, around 12:20 UTC.^[4][5]