The launch, ordered by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and International Space Company Kosmotras, was carried out by the Russian Space Forces crew, with the support of Strategic Missile Forces and the Federal Space Agency. The launch and satellite separations were successful.

The Dnepr launch vehicle is based on the RS-20 (SS-18 Satan) liquid-fuelled Inter Continental Ballistic Missile, and was designed at the State Design Bureau Yuzhnoye (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) under the lead of General Designer Vladimir Utkin. Missile production was performed at the State Enterprise Production Association Yuzniy Machine Building Plant (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine).

The launch vehicle has a launch weight of 211 tons, with a high reliability rate for delivering payloads of up to 3.5 tons. The Dnepr can be used for high-elliptical orbits and escape trajectories to the Moon, when equipped with upper-stages.

Autonomous upper-stages of three modifications ordered by International Space Company Kosmotras are now under production among cooperating Russian and Ukraine enterprises.

The fifth launch of the Dnepr Program was made under the Strategic Missile Forces plan of Inter Continental Ballistic Missile liquidation. [We think this means at the same time as launching satellites for Japan, they were conducting reliability tests of the ICBM version)

The primary entity for the implementation of the Dnepr program is the International Space Company Kosmotras, established in 1997 by the decision of Russian Space Agency and National Space Agency of the Ukraine.

In cooperation with Kosmotras there are various Russian and Ukrainian enterprises that developed and operated the RS-20 missile system. According to Kosmotras Marketing Director Vladislav Solovey, the development of the Dnepr Space Launch System Program is one of the biggest global conversion programs ever. Converting 150 SS-18 missiles into launch vehicles forms the basis of the Dnepr Program. The joint statement of the Russian and Ukrainian Presidents, dated May 31, 1997, outlined the creation of the Dnepr System as a long-term priority project.

In April 2005 the contract between JAXA and Kosmotras for two Japanese satellites to be launched on the Dnepr launch vehicle, was approved by the Federal Space Agency.

Manufactured by NEC Toshiba Space Systems, the OICETS satellite will test a new space optical communications system, and study the possibility of huge data transfers.

Using laser beams, the satellite will carry out interorbital laser communication experiments with ARTEMIS, a geostationary satellite operated by the European Space Agency.

Science micro-satellite INDEX, designed and built by JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, will observe auroras and demonstrate new satellite technologies.

Second-in-command of Strategic Missile Forces, Armament Commander lieutenant-general Vitaly Linnik, Head of the Department of launch vehicles, for ground based infrastructure and cooperation programs for the Federal Space Agency Vladimir Nesterov, and other Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Turkmen and Byelorussian officials were present at the launch.

Members of the Japanese delegation were: Director of the Space Development and Utilization Division of the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Iwase Kimikazu, First Assistant of JAXA President Oida Toshihiko, Chief Executive, member of Board of Directors of Sumitomo Corporation, Morinaka Kosaburo, and President and CEO of NEC Toshiba Space Systems, Nakada Katsutoshi - were also at the Cosmodrome to take part in the launch, and expressed their thanks to Kosmotras staff for an "excellent job, well done".

The delegation from the Russian Insurance Centre, including the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Alfred Shestakov, and Chairman of the Board, Dmitry Izvekov, attended the pre-launch operations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, as well the launch. Within the Dnepr Program the Russian Insurance Centre insured risks to the launch vehicle and launch silo during the rocket's launch, also providing third party liability insurance, underwriting special Kosmotras equipment, too, used in the mission.

At the final press-conference, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Insurance Centre, Dmitry Izvekov, said, "By this unique silo launch, two tasks were solved: firstly, the ICBM RS-20's reliability was proved and secondly, a space payload was successfully launched.

"For us, the insurers, this launch was unique, because for the first time in the history of Russian space activity, the risk of a commercial silo launch was insured.

"At the same time, highly specialized technical issues, including the magneto-electric compatibility of spacecrafts and the launch vehicle, or optical cleanness, for example, that could have influenced the launch result, were solved. It is necessary for Russian insurers to also insure payload to provide complete Dnepr Program coverage. Our experience of cooperation with Japanese partners proves this necessity".

International Space Company Kosmotras Chief Executive Officer, Vladimir Andreev, noticed that "by actively working with Kosmotras and its business partners, and developing and performing special insurance programs for international space projects, including the Dnepr Program, the Russian Insurance Centre could demonstrate to the world space services market, the high professionalism of Russian insurers".

The development of the Dnepr Space Launch System Program is an example of successful international cooperation between Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and (a few) other countries.

High reliability and launch precision will determine the Dnepr's satellite launch services market potential.

Based on the long-term successful cooperation with the Russian Insurance Centre, Kosmotras already works on launches for British, American, Italian, Saudi, Malaysian, German, French and Japan satellites. The Japan OICETS and INDEX satellites became the twenty-first and twenty-second spacecraft launched by the International Space Company Kosmotras. Related Links
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