RSCC’s Express-АМ33 satellite. Photo: RSCC

The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), an entity operated by the Russian state, has moved its Express-AM33 satellite from the 96.5 degrees East orbital position to the 11 degrees West slot. The company announced the transition on Aug. 17 and said the move was made as RSCC looks to target a stronger position in the global maritime market.

To move the satellite to the new position, the Express-AM33 satellite made 120 orbits around the Earth at an altitude of 35,880 km, covering 31.7 million km in the process. The company said this precise work was performed by 41 employees of the RSCC Mission Control Centers located in Moscow, Zheleznogorsk, and Dubna Space Communication Centers and the Vladimir Satellite Communication Station.

“[Our in-orbit satellites are] maneuverable enough to swiftly address the problems posed by the market. Should our clients want to get communication services right in the middle of the ocean, such services will be available to them,” Alexey Volin, director general of RSCC said in a statement.