EKS (satellite system)

EKS Kupol
ManufacturerRKK Energia (bus) and
TsNII Kometa (payload.)[1]
Country of originRussia[1]
OperatorKosmicheskie Voyska Rossii (Cosmic Forces, Russia)
ApplicationsEarly warning of missile attack
Specifications
BusPossibly USP (Victoria)[1]
PowerDeployable solar arrays
BatteriesYes
EquipmentMilitary early warning system and
a reported secure emergency communications payload
to be used in case of a nuclear war.[1]
RegimeMolniya
Production
StatusActive
On order3
Launched6
Operational6
Retired0
Maiden launchEKS 1 / Tundra-11L,
17 November 2015[2]
Last launchEKS 6 / Tundra-16L,
25 November 2022

EKS (Russian: Единая космическая система, romanized: Edinaya Kosmicheskaya Sistema meaning Integrated Cosmos System [3]) Kupol (Russian: Купол meaning Dome[4]) is a developing[2] programme of Russian early warning satellites as a replacement for the US-KMO and US-K satellites of the Oko programme.[5]: 7  The satellites are designed to identify any possible future ballistic missile launches, from outer space, and complement early warning radars such as the Voronezh. This gives advance notice of a nuclear attack and would provide information to the A-135 missile defence system which protects Moscow, as well as other Russian missile defense and counterattack resources. Six satellites are planned to be initially orbited.[1] The first of these was launched on 17 November 2015[2] and as of November 2022, all six of them are in service.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference eks-gunter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference eks-launch2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference tsr-20210208 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Российскую систему предупреждения о ракетном нападении назвали "Купол"" [Russian missile early warning system has been named Dome.] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Podvig_book2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference EKS-6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).