New satellites will provide continuous monitoring of Arctic waters and communications in the Polar region
An Arktika-M satellite constellation capable of taking up to 2 million accurate images a year will be formed over the Polar region. This will allow for detailed monitoring of the hydrometeorological situation in the macro-region, said Nikolay Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a senior official at the Arctic Council, during the Arctic Salon in St. Petersburg.
22 August 2022Today, work also continues on providing high-latitude regions of Russia with quality telecommunications services via satellites. Alexander Stotsky, General Director of the Project Office for Arctic Development, talks about this.
Deployment of the hydrometeorological satellite constellation began in February 2021, when the first satellite in the series was launched into a highly elliptical orbit. The second Arktika-M satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2023 and the third in 2025. According to Nikolay Korchunov, when there are four of these satellites, Russia will be able to monitor the Arctic in good resolution almost continuously, i.e. every 15 minutes.
Korchunov also recalled a promising project by IKS-Holding to build a low-orbit satellite constellation that would provide broadband internet access.
The creation of new orbital systems will bring the development of the Russian Arctic to a qualitatively new level. Hydrometeorology and communications are important factors in the safety of navigation in polar waters. The emergence of next-generation domestic satellite constellations will support sustained growth of shipping along the North Sea Route, giving an additional impetus to high-latitude development.