Molniya (Russian: Молния, meaning "lightning") was a military communications satellite system used by the Soviet Union. The satellites were placed into highly eccentric elliptical orbits known as Molniya orbits, characterised by an inclination of +63.4 degrees and a period of around 12 hours. Such orbits allowed them to remain visible to sites in polar regions for extended periods, unlike satellites in geosynchronous orbits.
The Molniya program was authorized by a government decree in late 1960. After some initial failures in 1964, the first operational satellite, Molniya 1-01, was successfully launched on August 23, 1965.
Since October 1967, Molniya satellites have been used by Russia to broadcast their national Orbita television network.
   | Molniya constellation - Molniya - Russia and Communications Satellite Systems |
| | Molniya 1-4 - NASA - NSSDC - Spacecraft - Details |
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