July 17 2024

The equipment will be used to study the impact of space weather factors on satellite systems in polar regions

A 3-unit satellite has been developed for the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NArFU), which will be launched into orbit in 2024. University scientists and students will develop a payload that will be placed on board the spacecraft. In particular, equipment for identifying ships in the waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will be installed. This was reported by the press service of Sitronics Group.

The device was developed by the Russian space company Sputnix (part of the Sitronics Group) as part of the federal scientific and educational project Space-Pi. The goal of the project is to study the influence of space weather factors on satellite systems in the polar regions, to learn how to obtain and process data on the movement of ships on the NSR. To do this, scientists and students will integrate into the device a DeCoR-2 space radiation detector designed to register X-ray photons, gamma quanta and electrons, a receiver of signals from the automatic identification system (AIS) to obtain information on the location and characteristics of sea vessels, and a survey camera with a spatial resolution of 250 meters/pixel.

Currently, the functioning of small satellites is significantly affected by factors in the space environment: they can cause degradation of materials, the occurrence of a volumetric electric charge on board, failures in electronics, and disruption of communication between the satellite and the ground station.

“The results of this project are of interest to us and other participants in the space industry in terms of their practical significance, and in the future they may allow us to increase the active life of small satellites in orbit and improve the quality of communication systems,” commented Vladislav Ivanenko, CEO of Sputnix.

Sputnix (part of Sitronics Group) is a Russian private space company specializing in the development of high-tech satellite components and technologies for small spacecraft, as well as services based on them. In 2023, the company created more than 120 spacecraft, some of them were launched into orbit in 2024.

Source: https://portnews.ru/news/365504/