ST. PETERSBURG, Russia-The recent docking of the Progress cargo spaceship with the International Space Station (ISS) switched off the first Russian cdma2000 network in St. Petersburg. The network has been operated by Delta Telecom since late 2002, and the space-caused problems of the carrier may increase after the Columbia shuttle tragedy.
Delta operates in the 450 MHz band on condition that it frees the frequencies for the St. Petersburg-based military space forces center to control various spacecraft operations. During the Progress docking, Delta switched off its SkyLink network twice for 30 minutes in the rush afternoon hours.
“We are switched off during docking when Soyuz and Progress spacecraft approach the ISS. Our channel is used for visual control,” said Delta Director General Viktor Ustyuzhanin.
“That corresponds to the provision approved by a government resolution,” explained the Radio Frequency Center in the Russian Northwest.
Russia may have to double the number of missions to the ISS after the tragedy with Columbia, as the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is likely to suspend shuttle flights to the station for at least 18 months until the reasons for the crash are determined. As a result, Delta’s problems on the ground may also double.
Besides the 450 MHz band, the Russian military space forces also use the 160 MHz spectrum for space control, which affects three paging operators in St. Petersburg, which also have to temporarily switch off their networks.
