OREANDA-NEWS. On March 31st at 16:47 Moscow Time, a group of three Gonets-M space vessels was successfully launched from the Plisetsk Cosmodrome. The insurance risks of the launch of these satellites, and the operation in earth orbit has been insured by four insurance companies for a total of 1.1 billion roubles. The coordinator of the insurance contract was OSJC SOGAZ.

A group of three Gonets-M communications-industry satellites, numbered №21, 22, and 23, was launched into earth orbit by a Rokot rocket launch module and a Briz-KM upper stage module. "The satellites have been insured against their complete loss. The insurance cover remains in force for the duration of the entire flight test mission, which is due to conclude three months after the launch date. The reinsurance of the risk has been undertaken using capacity available on both the Russian and international insurance markets", said Mr Alexander Bystrov, the Deputy Director for Client-Base Development at SOGAZ.

The party insured under this policy us the Infrastructure Centre for Space Exploration (TSENKI). The Gonets-M satellites were manufactured by Reshetnyova Information Satellite Systems. The three satellites join a whole constellation of Russian multifunctional communications systems orbiting vessels, and low-orbit Gonets-D1m satellites. This network now comprises 13 different vessels.

The system supports personal communications systems and data of many kinds, including the real-time coordinate date for the GLONASS navigation system. Putting a network of small satellites into low polar orbit provides service to users all over the world. This is of especial importance to areas which have no GSM coverage, such as those in polar latitudes, Siberia, and the Russian Far East.