In 2000, when the Yamal-100 satellite was put into service, Gascom arranged another new space project Yamal-200. The Yamal-200 project was implemented already as a commercial one on the principles of project financing. The sources of financing were the own funds of the company and the attracted loans.
The contract for development of two Yamal-200 satellites was signed 24th July 2000.
The Yamal-200 represent a more powerful version of the Yamal-100 satellites, oriented at the needs of the Russian and international markets. On the Yamal-200 satellites having the same sizes as the Yamal-100 satellites, the payload was supplied with 2.5 times more electric power.
For the satellites of the Yamal-200 series it was planned to use different types of С- and Ku-band payloads, including the combined ones.
Just after completing in 1998 the ground tests of the onboard repeater for the Yamal-100 satellites at Gascom the works on developing repeaters for Yamal-200 satellites were started up. They should exceed Yamal-100 repeaters in throughput capacity almost seven times at the same mass and at the increase of power consumption only 1.7 times. It could be possible to reach such a growth of efficiency only through applying antennas with shaped pattern and using linearized power amplifiers on traveling wave tubes possessing a very high efficiency.
During repeater development one applied an original solution to divide the repeater into separate functional nodes consisting of several devices that were located on one single base, forming a functional assembly. Thus, one managed to make the process of designing the repeater and the spacecraft not sequential, but parallel.
For manufacturing of functional assemblies it was created and furnished with necessary equipment the so called «clean room» – a working room complying with all environmental requirements: cleanliness, temperature, humidity, electrostatic discharge protection. This made it possible to implement electric testing of functional assemblies, which essentially cut the due dates and risks of testing the repeater as a part of the spacecraft.
When developing Yamal-200 payloads, one applied antennas with shaped patterns, made by the Italian company Alenia Spazio, and repeater components – made by the French company Alcatel Space.
The task of developing a payload with specified characteristics for the Yamal-200 satellites was fulfilled by Gascom team in time and in workmanlike manner.
The tests of the Yamal-200 satellites began 13th April 2003 after the bus modules of each satellite had passed through standalone checks at the control and test station and the onboard repeaters as a part of payload modules – in the anechoic chamber
After conducting electric, acoustic, thermal vacuum tests, electromagnetic compatibility and electrostatic discharge checks, Mission Control Center tests, including its checks together with the nominal spacecrafts, a decision was taken to transport the satellites to the launch site. 5th October 2003 by means of An-124 airplane the satellites were delivered to the Baikonur.
In the morning, 24th November, the Proton rocket with the Block DM-01 (upper stage) and Yamal-200 spacecraft was launched into orbit.
11th January 2004 the Yamal-201 satellite was positioned at the 49°E orbital slot. Yamal-201 satellite positioning at 90°E was completed by 28th January.
After flight tests the satellites were accepted for nominal operation. This occurred 29th April 2004.
In the course of the Yamal-100 and Yamal-200 projects a new methodology was elaborated to manage investment projects on developing commercial objects in the space branch, which is based on management of a project as a set of interrelated processes in technical, economic and financial fields. The implementation of this integrated methodology provided the economic efficiency of the projects and made it possible to develop the satellites with the required quality level.
If the main objective of the Yamal-100 project was to provide the gas branch with satellite communications, the Yamal-200 project was designed for a mass consumer in order to reach the maximum economic efficiency of investments. Therefore, after launching two Yamal-200 satellites the capacity of the Yamal Satellite Communications System was increased more than seven times.
The communications services of the Yamal-200 satellites are in demand on the Russian and international market. At the end of 2007 the satellites were completely loaded.
Loan repayment and interest payment were made out of proceeds of the operator activity. In 2008 the loans attracted for project implementation were completely repaid.