On December 22, 1975, the country's first serial geostationary spacecraft Raduga (Rainbow), designed by company Information Satellite Systems named after Academician M. Reshetnev was launched. The Raduga satellite gave a start to the large-scale use of geostationary orbit by the Russian cosmonautics, which is currently in the highest demand in the satellite communications industry. It became the embodiment of the technical solutions that were for the first time applied both in Russian and global satellite construction. The design and layout of the Raduga are recognized as a reference point and have been used in the development of the majority of spacecraft in the world.
The satellite was for the first time fitted with voltage stabilization equipment, which made it possible to improve the characteristics of the onboard power system by 20%. The Raduga also featured a three-axis spacecraft orientation system with autonomous orientation of solar batteries, which ensured constant rotation of their wings at the speed equal to the orbital velocity. This function of tracking the Sun was applied on the satellite for the first time in the world practice and subsequently became a classic one.
The satellites of this series have successfully proved their reliability, providing high-quality communication and TV broadcasting services even beyond the guaranteed lifetime.
The commemorative stamp provides a symbolic image of a carrier rocket being launched into space; the main image features a 3D model of the first Raduga communications satellite against the background of the Earth in outer space.
Illustrative material provided by JSC “RESHETNEV”
| Denomination |
Paper |
Printing method |
Format of the postal card |
Edition |
| Letter “B” |
Chalk surfaced |
Offset |
105 × 148 mm |
11 thousand postcards |