Altair, also referred to as Luch, is a series of 5 Geosynchronous Russian relay satellites. They have been used to relay live TV images and other communications from the Russian space station Mir and other orbital spacecraft to the Earth. They have a mass of 2.4 metric tons each. A geosynchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit that has the same orbital period as the sidereal rotation period of the Earth. ... For other uses, please see Satellite (disambiguation) A satellite is an object that orbits another object (known as its primary). ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... MIR is a TLA that could mean: Mail-in rebate Medical Inspection Room - the place for sick parade in most British and Commonwealth militaries and many NGOs. ...

www.astronautix.com/craft/luch.htm