Engines used xenon gas as propellant to enter its operational orbit and to conduct orbit corrections. The satellite was equipped with SPD-70 electric engines with a thrust of 40 mH and power of 700 Watts. RKK Energia also relied on the flight control system originally developed for the new-generation Yamal-300 satellite to build Egyptsat's computer brain. It was the company's first spacecraft platform whose electronics and other systems were hardened to function in the vacuum of space, rather than inside failure-prone pressurized compartments, thus dramatically increasing the satellite's operational life span. In turn, the 559GK satellite derived from RKK Energia's experience during the development of the Yamal-100 communications satellite. RKK Energia based the E-Star/Egyptsat-2 design on its latest concept of an imaging satellite designated 559GK. RKK Energia's new imaging satellite was originally known as E-Star, but it was eventually re-christened Egyptsat-2, as a parallel name-sake effort between Egypt and Ukraine had been delayed from 2013 to at least 2015. The company also built the ill-fated BelKA imaging satellite in cooperation with the former Soviet republic of Belarus. However the actual development of the spacecraft was delegated to RKK Energia based in Korolev near Moscow and renown around the world for its leading role in the nation's manned space flight. In Moscow, the project was officially handled by Rosoboroneksport, the government-owned company specialized in exports of military technology. In 2009, after around four years of negotiations, Egypt awarded a contract to Russia for the development of a high-resolution imaging satellite. Although Egypt apparently continued working with the Ukrainian KB Yuzhnoe design bureau on a follow-on project, Cairo received a bid from Moscow to supply a state-of-the-art "eye in the sky". However the satellite failed prematurely after more than three years of operation. In 2007, the Egyptian government made its first attempt to acquire its own high-resolution surveillance satellite with the launch of the Egyptsat-1 spacecraft built in Ukraine. The author | Testimonials | Mailbox | ADVERTISE! | DONATE! -Įgyptsat-2 satellite also known as 559GK or Misrsat-2. The author of this page will appreciate comments, corrections and imagery related to the subject.