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Nov. 23, 2021
The Russian Space Systems Holding (RCS, part of the State Corporation Roscosmos) has summed up the results of the first five months of operation in orbit of the unique hydrometeorological satellite for remote sensing of the Earth "Arktika-M" No. 1, which was created at the S.А. Lavochkin (part of Roskosmos). The spacecraft with the RKS imaging equipment has opened up new opportunities for observing weather changes on the planet, environmental monitoring, researching solar activity, monitoring the Arctic territories and solving other global problems.
Yuri Gektin, chief designer of the RCS direction: “We can rarely say with pride that Russia has made a project that exists for the first time in the world. “Arctic” is exactly the case where we were the first. The information received from the Arctic is unique. Now we have the opportunity to observe all polar regions with a frequency of 15 minutes, nothing like this has happened before."
"Arktika-M" monitors the entire area of Siberia every quarter of an hour. These data can be used for operational analysis and forecasting of the evolution of forest fires in the region, increasing the resource efficiency of their extinguishing.
YURI GEKTIN: "ARKTIKA-M" IS THE EXACT CASE WHEN WE WERE THE FIRST"
(Video in Russian)
Yuri Gektin: “The Earth's climate depends on the weather in the Arctic. The movement of ice, changes in snow cover, parameters of the Arctic winds - for the first time in the world, Arktika-M received these data necessary to build a climatic map of our planet, to create global models that determine the development of climate. The satellite is in a unique highly elliptical orbit, which makes it possible to survey from a distance of 30-40 thousand km above the Earth for a total duration of 6 hours a day, observe the formation of clouds, atmospheric, aerosol changes, the amount of pollution in the air and many other processes. This is a new word in hydrometeorology”.
Primary radiometric and geometric processing of information from the satellite is carried out directly in MSU-GS-M using its own computing facilities and algorithms. Further, the received digital stream enters the on-board data collection system (BSSD-VE), where it is combined into a single digital stream with service information from the on-board command device and target information from the heliogeophysical apparatus complex (GGAK-VE). Then the information enters the on-board radio-technical complex (BRTK-VE) and is transmitted to ground data reception and processing points, where it goes through several stages of processing and arrives at ground users. The systems involved in the processing were developed and manufactured at RKS.
Yuri Gektin: “Already today the satellite is conducting round-the-clock all-weather monitoring of the volcanic situation in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth. The ultra-high temperature sensitivity of the imaging equipment makes it possible to observe thermal processes in an incandescent volcano crater only a few tens of meters in size. We see a hot spot inside Mount Etna in Sicily. Its size is tens of meters. It can be clearly seen from orbit."
Arktika-M satellite
The unique heliogeophysical instrumental complex GGAK-VE on board "Arktika-M" measures the values of the Earth's magnetic field, cosmic flux of electrons and protons. The devices of this complex were created by RKS, they will monitor the characteristics of the near-earth environment during solar flares and geomagnetic storms that affect the propagation of radio waves, the operation of industrial and energy systems, communication equipment and transport pipelines. "Arctic" twice per revolution around the Earth passes through the radiation belts, which severely affect the operation of electronics.
Yuri Gektin: “There is a heliophysical complex on the satellite that studies space weather. Previously, we could not measure the required parameters in which orbits. All climate changes are associated with the Sun and its activity. The climate is evolving, and we do not yet understand its causes. New climate models, which will form the basis of new theoretical studies of climate change, will help meet this challenge. The more satellites of the Arctic type we have, the more accurate and reliable our forecasts will be. Now the second apparatus of the Arktika-M series is being prepared for launch, followed by the next. Hurricanes, mudflows and other natural processes affect our lives every day and bring fantastic economic losses. Deployment of a full-fledged group will provide us with a reliable resource for solving this global problem."
The spacecraft "Arktika-M" No. 1 was launched on February 28, 2021 from the Baikonur cosmodrome, and at the beginning of March it entered a working high-elliptical orbit, in which the spacecraft's flight point farthest from the Earth is many times higher than the nearest one. In September, flight tests of the spacecraft were completed and put into regular operation. The highly elliptical hydrometeorological space system "Arktika-M" with up to four satellites is designed to provide all-weather monitoring of the Earth's surface and the seas of the Arctic Ocean and reliable communications for the socio-economic development of the northern regions of Russia.
Related article:
ROSCOSMOS - Soyuz-2.1b launches Arktika-M
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2021/02/roscosmos-soyuz-21b-launches-arktika-m.html
Related links:
ROSCOSMOS Press Release: https://www.roscosmos.ru/33422/
Arctic-M: https://www.roscosmos.ru/tag/arktika-m/
Images, Video, Text, Credits: ROSCOSMOS/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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