Arctic-M (satellites)

2024: Transmission of the first images of the Arctic region to Earth

On January 16, 2024 space , the Arctic-M hydrometeorological apparatus No. 2 received and transferred to Earth the first images of the Arctic region and adjacent territories during flight tests. Its target devices, including multi-zone scanning devices (MSU-GS), as well as most of the onboard systems were created by the holding "" (Russian space systems RKS, part of the State Corporation "").Roskosmos

source = PKC

The satellite is located in a working highly elliptical orbit of the Lightning type with an inclination to the equator of 63.3 degrees, an apogee height of approximately 38,900 km and a perigee of approximately 1,400 km. All its service systems function normally. The spacecraft, developed at the S. A. Lavochkin Scientific and Production Association (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation), was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on December 16, 2023 by the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage.

The first satellite of the highly elliptical hydrometeorological space system "Arctic-M" was launched into the target orbit in February 2021 and performs tasks in full. The two Arctic-M spacecraft will alternately replace each other in the working areas of the orbits and will provide a continuous round-the-clock view of the northern territory Russia and the Arctic region, receive heliogeophysical information functioning in orbit, relay information from ground platforms for collecting meteorological data, and transmit signals to rescue services about the location of ships and aircraft in distress in the interests of the international search and rescue system. KOSPAS-SARSAT

To solve the target tasks, the Arktika-M satellites are equipped with a multi-zone scanning device for hydrometeorological support of the MSU-GS and a heliogeophysical hardware complex GGAK-VE, as well as an on-board relay complex developed by the RKS holding.

The peculiarity of the orbital construction of the Arctic-M space system makes it possible to carry out round-the-clock observation of the surface of the Earth and the seas of the Arctic Ocean, relay the signals of emergency radio beams of the international satellite search and rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT, receive information from automatic measuring platforms for collecting data Roshydromet, including those located in the Arctic region. The data obtained are used by various departments of Roshydromet and other departments to improve the reliability of long-term and short-term weather forecasts, help monitor emergencies, conduct environmental control, and give scientists a large amount of new data to study climate. said the chief designer of the RKS direction Yuri GROVIN.

Multi-zone scanning devices are the main and most important target devices for continuous shooting of the Earth's surface at intervals of 15 to 30 minutes in ten spectral bands, seven of which are infrared. The spatial resolution is from 1 to 4 km, and the accuracy of measuring the temperature of the underlying surface reaches 0.1-0.2 ° C.

Reception and processing of satellite data from spacecraft is carried out by the centers of Roshydromet as part of the European, Siberian and Far Eastern Centers of the Research Center for Space Hydrometeorology "Planet," the Institute of Applied Geophysics named after E.K. Fedorov, as well as by means of a single geographically distributed information system at Roscosmos facilities.

2023: Successful launch of a second satellite

On December 16, 2023, Roscosmos announced the successful launch of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and the Arctic-M hydrometeorological spacecraft No. 2. This satellite is designed to monitor climate in the Arctic region and surrounding areas.

The carrier, manufactured by the Progress Rocket and Space Center, launched from the 31st site of the Baikonur cosmodrome. It is reported that the flight took place in normal mode, and at the estimated time the booster with the payload separated from the third stage of the rocket. After that, the Arctic-M apparatus No. 2, created at Lavochkin's NPO, was launched into a given orbit.

Roscosmos announced the successful launch of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage and the Arctic-M hydrometeorological spacecraft No. 2

The satellite is designed to monitor the hydrometeorological situation, monitor the heliogeophysical situation in near-Earth space, relay signals from emergency radio beams of the international satellite search and rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT and information from automatic measuring platforms for collecting data from Roshydromet, including those located in the Arctic region. The Arktika-M No. 1 (launched into space in February 2021) and Arktika-M No. 2 will jointly provide a continuous round-the-clock view of the northern territory of Russia and the Arctic region. During the monitoring process, the satellites will alternately replace each other in the working areas of the orbits.

In the future, the Arctic-M group will expand. In May 2023, Roscosmos and Lavochkina NPO signed a contract for the creation and launch of Arktika-M satellites No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6: they are planned to be put into orbit until 2031. An increase in the number of devices in the system will halve the frequency of shooting the polar region and make observations of the required area from different angles. In addition, specialists will have the opportunity to detail ultra-short-term weather forecasts, increase the efficiency of detecting and monitoring dangerous natural phenomena and emergencies and increase the accuracy of cloud allocation over snow and ice^[1]

2022: Confirmation of the possibility of use in a highly elliptical orbit

Russian space systems"" reported on October 7, 2022 that the results of the operation of space the Arktika-M apparatus No. 1 confirmed the fundamental possibility of using target equipment designed to operate on geostationary vehicles in a highly elliptical orbit. For the Arctic-M, launched into Earth orbit on February 28, 2021, the Russian Space Systems holding (, RKS part of) Roscosmos State Corporation developed a main target device - satellite a multi-zone scanning device (MSU-GS), similar to the equipment used on geostationary devices "Electro-L" and modernized to operate in a highly elliptical orbit.

"Arctic-M" No. 1 has become the only hydrometeorological complex in the world for continuous operational monitoring of the polar regions of the Earth. The positive operation of the device proved the ability of the satellite equipment to simultaneously shoot the polar regions of the Earth in ten channels of the visible and infrared spectrum with a frequency of up to 15 minutes, as well as the use of this shooting mode on an ongoing basis.

To reduce radiation exposure, which is higher in a highly elliptical orbit than in a geostationary one, the MSU-GS device received additional protection shielding electronic units. The radiation refrigerator, which cools infrared photodetector devices, has also been modernized. These technical improvements ensure the accuracy and long-term operation of the equipment.

The quality of the information received fully complies with the declared characteristics. The RCS continues to improve the procedures for radiometric processing of information, since a thorough analysis and accounting of all factors affecting the operation of the LCS-GS in other conditions is required. It can be said with confidence that the required radiometric accuracy measurements will be achieved. Further modernization of the equipment and onboard systems of future Arctic-M spacecraft can increase the speed of shooting up to 5-10 minutes without significantly increasing both the mass of the target equipment and the mass of the entire spacecraft. noted the chief designer of the RKS direction, Yuri Gervin.

In the RCS, the MSU-GS equipment for the Arktika-M satellite No. 2 was manufactured and is being tested as part of the spacecraft. The launch of this device, scheduled for 2023, will create a full-fledged highly orbital constellation of Earth remote sensing satellites for round-the-clock observation of polar regions. The expansion of the grouping to four simultaneously functioning high-orbit spacecraft will ensure not only continuity of observations, but also make it possible to observe around the clock at two different survey angles. Achieving such speed of shooting will make it possible to monitor the polar regions of the Earth at a qualitatively different level.

Arktika-M solves a wide range of tasks of hydrometeorology, ecology and informational support of economic activities of the Arctic region. Data obtained from the satellite allows you to observe processes and weather events on a regional and global scale, monitor major natural and man-made disasters, as well as support navigation along the Northern Sea Route and cross-polar aviation routes. Information from the Arctic-M equipment will supplement and clarify the existing climate models, for which data on wind speeds and direction on a global scale are needed. The high speed of observations helps to identify and track rapidly developing atmospheric phenomena, including polar mesoscale vortices.

2021: Entering orbit

On February 28, 2021, the first Arctic-M satellite, designed for round-the-clock monitoring of the northern territories of Russia and the seas of the Arctic Ocean, was launched into orbit.

As the press service of Roscosmos explains, the creation of a satellite system in highly elliptical orbits is necessary for information support in solving the problems of operational meteorology, hydrology, climate and environmental monitoring in the Arctic region. The Arctic-M spacecraft will provide signal relay of the COSPAS-SARSAT system.

Arctic-M satellite for climate monitoring entered orbit

It is noted that the Arctic-M satellites were developed according to a modular principle, taking into account the experience gained in the creation of the Electro-L spacecraft. They are based on the unified Navigator platform and have almost identical target equipment with Electro-L satellites. The main difference is the method of solving the target task - Electro-L conducts regular (with a frequency of 15-30 minutes) shooting of the Earth from a geostationary orbit, and Arktika-M conducts a similar survey of the Arctic region of the Earth, inaccessible for observation from geostationary satellites Electro-L, being in the working section of a highly elliptical orbit of the Lightning type in the apogee area.

"Arctic-M" will be removed daily and approach the earth's surface, which will allow it to give different-scale images. Its speed will differ from the speed of rotation of the Earth, and the survey angle will continuously change. When creating the equipment, the designers of the Russian Space Systems company took into account that this would increase the risks of additional image deformations. Therefore, they used the experience gained during the operation of geostationary devices of the Electro-L series, and introduced a system of high-precision measurements, which allows to increase the accuracy of measurements and coordinate alignment.^[2]

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