The chief designer of the Molniya-1 space communication system projects (1962), as well as the subsequent Molniya-2 (1965), Korund (1969), and Kulon (1973), was the Deputy Director General for Science at MNIIS, Murad Rashidovich Kaplanov.

Without fuel, the turbopump unit went into overdrive, starting to increase its speed beyond the prescribed limit, then the automation issued a command for an emergency shutdown of the propulsion system.

This was due to the fact that, according to the instructions of the product designer, the cables were additionally wrapped with polyvinyl chloride tape; no full-scale tests were carried out after this modification.

The reason was the poorly understood influence of the Earth's radiation belts at that time, as well as thermal cycling (at each revolution, the temperature of the solar battery elements changes sharply from +120 °C in the illuminated part of the trajectory to -180 °C in the shade).

The Molniya-1 satellites were intended primarily to create an experimental long-distance radio communication line between Moscow and Vladivostok.

Later, the improved Molniya-1+ and Molniya-2 satellites were used to provide telephone and telegraph communications on the territory of the USSR, as well as to transmit Soviet Central Television channels to 20 ground stations with 12-meter antennas (the Orbita system).

The satellite body was oriented with its longitudinal axis towards the Sun, and the antennas, mounted on an external rod, were independently aimed at the Earth.

[6] Due to the imperfection of the radio equipment, the active life of the Molniya-1 spacecraft was only about six months, which was significantly improved in subsequent satellites of the series.

This gyroscopic system was supplemented by KDU-414 microengines operating on compressed nitrogen, which corrected minor deviations of the object from the specified position due to disturbances or temporary changes in the trajectory.

The combination of a power gyroscope and microengines made it possible to create a very economical orientation system with minimal fuel consumption.