Development[edit]
Elektro–L was developed by the company NPO Lavochkin and financed from the Russian Federal Space Program 2006-2015. The satellites will be operated by and provide data for Roscosmos, Scientific Research Center of Space Hydrometeorology "Planeta" and for the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet).[2] Elektro–L's predecessor was the Elektro 1 satellite which was launched in 1994. Like Elektro–L, it was also designed to operate in geostationary orbit, but never became fully operational.[4]
Along with the earlier Meteor-M series, Elekto–L satellites are part of Russia's aim to restore its weather satellite network.[1] Before the launch of Elektro–L 1, Russia had only one operational weather satellite in orbit: Meteor-M 1, operating in an 830-km circular sun-synchronous orbit.[3] Due to lack of satellites, Russia is forced to use meteorological data provided by American and European weather agencies.[1] Aerospace journalist Anatoly Zak wrote that the launch of the first Elektro–L satellite marked the "re-emergence of Russia's space industry after two decades of economic turmoil", as the spacecraft and its standardised Navigator platform were both conceived and developed after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.[5]