SPUTNIX has Launched the First Russian Private Earth Remote Sensing Satellite
MOSCOW, June 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
ISC Kosmotras successfully launched a cluster of small spacecraft by the RS-20 rocket (Dnepr) on 20 June 2014. The first Russian private Earth remote sensing satellite of the SPUTNIX Company, named TabletSat-Aurora, was also set into its target orbit.
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It is planned to receive the data from the microsatellite to a SCANEX ground network UniScan[TM], with the data to be used in commercial, scientific, educational and environmental projects.
"It is an important event for us," says Alexander Serkin, ISC Kosmotras CEO, "For 20 years we have been working with globally famous companies - spacecraft developers, the majority of them are private ones. And today we have an opportunity to participate in the implementation of a private space project in Russia. We are certainly proud to be a part of this event."
After its ascent to orbit, subsystems developed by the company will be tested. The first signal from TabletSat-Aurora has already been received. The spacecraft weight is 26 kg, with minimum designed life expectancy of 1 year. The spacecraft is equipped with a high accuracy tri-axial orientation and stabilization system and an optical camera for Earth imaging from space, with a resolution of 15m per pixel.
"The company consider TabletSat-Aurora as a universal platform for placement of scientific and commercial applications payloads," clarifies Stanislav Karpenko, SPUTNIX CTO.
The satellite platform and the majority of systems and equipment were developed by the company, with financial support from the Skolkovo and ISC Kosmotras.
In 2012, SPUTNIX, a daughter company of SCANEX, became a resident of Skolkovo and received a grant from the Skolkovo space cluster. It took 8 months to develop and prepare a microsatellite for the launch.
"We plan to create a cluster of small spacecraft and ultrahigh detail imaging satellites," said Andrey Potapov, SPUTNIX CEO.
SPUTNIX
Sputnix is an innovative Russian company, developing and producing small satellite platforms and systems. The company is a Skolkovo resident and creator of the first Russian private satellite for Earth Observation.
International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras
Core company business activities are associated with implementation of the Dnepr Program - a peaceful use of the SS-18 ICBMs withdrawn from service. Since the inaugural Dnepr launch in April 1999, 20 commercial flights have been performed and the total number of payloads launched has amounted to 122.
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