At present, RSCC, via its terrestrial facilities, controls AM44 and MD1 movement onto geostationary orbit at 11 degrees West and 80 degrees East orbital slots, respectively. The satellites were produced within the program of renovating the Russian state satellite communications constellation and the Russian Federal Space Program for 2006-2015, approved by the Government Decree # 635, 22.10.2005. The first satellite of the program, Express-AM33, was successfully launched in January 2008. The new spacecraft will provide the Russian customers with the TV and radio broadcasting services, telephony, data transmission, and broadband Internet.
The Express-AM44 satellite was manufactured by ISS Reshetnev (Krasnoyarsk) with Thales Alenia Space. The satellite is designed for providing digital TV and radio services, Internet access, data transfer, video conferencing, VSAT multi services networks deployment as well as for presidential and governmental mobile communications. The Express-AM44 payload includes 10 C-band transponders (40 MHz bandwidth), 16 Ku-band transponders (54 MHz bandwidth) and 1 L-band transponder (1 MHz).
The Express-MD1 light satellite was manufactured by Khrunichev SCRPC with the Italian branch of Thales Alenia Space company. The Express-MD1 satellite will provide mobile presidential and governmental communications, digital TV and radio broadcasting services, Internet access, data transfer, as well as video conferencing. The satellite is equipped with 8 C-band transponders (40 MHz bandwidth) and 1 L-band transponder (1 MHz bandwidth).