According to RIA Novosti, before that, astronauts could communicate with the Earth only by flying over Russian territory, and if necessary, communications outside these zones used American means.
“Now we are independent of our colleagues and their American segment,” said Konstantin Shadrin, director of the digital development department at Roscosmos.
As specified in the video from RSC Energia, communication is established twice per ISS orbit (its duration is 92 minutes) via the Luch relay satellites.
“In the near future we are planning to connect a third one. Thus, from the whole loop, we will try to realize almost the entire loop, except for some time, ”noted Igor Brodsky, head of the Onboard and Ground Radio Engineering Complexes Center of RSC Energia.
In the future, it is planned to provide connection with the Earth around the clock.