The first Ukrainian telecommunications satellite “Lybid” will be put into orbit in 2017, as announced by the State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU).
The State Space Agency of Ukraine confirmed the information, made public by the Russian “Interfax” news agency in late October.
“The communications satellite “Lybid” will be launched indeed from the launch pad of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2017 by means of the launch vehicle “Zenit-2SB” and the upper stage “Fregat-SB”. At the moment, we are carrying out launch support operations”, as SSAU commented on to the TASS agency.
For the time being, the assembly operations for the “Lybid” satellite are completed, the vehicle passed tests and remains stored at the facilities of the company “Information Satellite Systems” in Krasnoyarsk.
“Because of the annexation of the Crimea, Ukraine lost its Satellites Ground Control Complex near the city of Yevpatoriya. This fact resulted in significant delays in performing works, and it raised the total cost of the project, since the state-owned enterprise “Ukrkosmos” had to invest near USD 1 million of own funds in building a new ground complex. In addition, the Italian company “Telespazio” leased equipment for that ground control station”, as the agency reported to AIN.UA.
“Lybid” is the first Ukrainian communications satellite, the launch of which was repeatedly postponed. In the summer of 2014, the “Information Satellite Systems” accepted the vehicle for storage until it would be launched into orbit.
