Satellite Innovative Space Systems

Sputnik - (Satellite Innovative Space Systems LLC) is one of the first Russian private companies specializing in the development of service systems for small spacecraft, microsatellite platforms based on these systems, as well as ground infrastructure for managing and receiving data from them. "Satellite" is a Skolkovo resident, the creator of the first Russian private satellite of remote sensing of the Earth "TabletSat-Aurora."

Performance indicators

2020: Revenue growth of 6%

According to the database of legal entities Kontur.Fokus, "in 2020, Sputnik's revenue amounted to about 108.3 million rubles, an increase of 6%. Like the previous four years, the company ended the year with net profit, it amounted to about 43 million rubles.

History

2024: Presentation of the educational direction

Private space company "SATELLITE" (part of Sitronics Group) presented an educational direction. Sitronics announced this on September 16, 2024.

From high-quality and comprehensive equipment of high-tech schools personnel depends on the equipment for the study of aerospace disciplines the potential of the industry as a whole and the interest in astronautics in particular.

{{quote 'For a jerk in the space race, specialists need to be raised from school benches, providing an opportunity to literally touch space with your own hands - to show what a real satellite is, what it can and how it is useful for us all, to teach us how to collect prototypes and work with data - to transmit and receive, and even send a spacecraft into real orbit. This allows us to make the Space-Pi scientific and educational project, of which we are participants. Space education should become basic in schools. This will allow to awaken and reinforce interest, go further to study in space specialties - said Anatoly Kopik.}}

"SPUTPS" presented a set of solutions for equipping "space classes. " It includes not only equipment for study satellite building, but also materials for methodological support of teachers. Also, SPUTPS is accredited to conduct training for teachers with issuance diplomas of the established standard on advanced training.

Educational complexes for "cosmoclasses" include the best practices in fields of education - satellite platform "OrbyKraft 3D," set-constructor Junix, as well as the designer of the OrbiX spacecraft. As additional equipment, a complex of space environment simulators is provided "Terra" and the complex. augmented reality AR

Thanks to the equipment, schoolchildren will be able to acquire skills and competencies in programming, design, 3D modeling, radio and spacecraft, as well as master the initial level of electrical engineering, soldering and creating a cable network.

2023: Production of 120 spacecraft

In 2023, Sputnik produced more than 120 spacecraft, of which 20 satellites have already been put into orbit. Lands About this in the group, Sitroniсs which includes "Satellite," told on December 26, 2023.

It is noted that in 2023, the devices of the Russian grouping of the automatic identification system SITRO-AIS for tracking sea vessels were launched into orbit, the first experimental apparatus of the grouping of ultra-small Earth remote sensing satellites, Zorkiy-2M, was also launched.

"Satellite" produced more than 120 spacecraft

Satellite develops civilian satellites in the interests of Russian and foreign customers, as well as to solve the strategic tasks of the Sitronics Group itself, including in the field of marine vessel monitoring (AIS), aircraft tracking (ADS-B), satellite Internet of Things (IoT).

As Alexey Katkov, a member of the Board of Directors of Sitronics Group, noted, the key areas of the company's activities today are the areas of eco-monitoring, tracking of shipping, monitoring of specially protected natural areas.

The results achieved confirm the company's status as one of the leaders in the space industry in the country, he said.

Also, "Satellites" creates spacecraft to solve scientific and educational problems. In 2023, the company produced and launched more than 10 educational satellites. Sitronics called Satellite an active participant in the field of additional space education, within which it helps teams of students and schoolchildren to master various disciplines - from satellite engineering to the transmission and processing of satellite data, as well as launch real scientific and educational devices into space. In 2023, a new training designer of the OrbiX interplanetary spacecraft was presented for teaching programming, radio engineering, satellite engineering in schools, universities and other educational centers.^[1]

2022: Plan to launch the production of carbon-fiber elements for small spacecraft

At the scientific and technological site in the Tula region, the private space company "Satellites" (part of the Sitronics Group) will launch the development of polymer composites and the production of structures for small spacecraft (MKA) from them. This was announced on December 28, 2022 by representatives of Sputnik.

According to the company's estimates, the launch of pilot production of carbon plastic elements for MKA will reduce the mass of structural elements of spacecraft by up to 40%.

Satellite produces and develops several MKA models for creating multi-satellite groupings. These are ultra-compact satellites for the operation of the automatic identification system (AIS) for monitoring shipping, devices for high-resolution and ultra-high-resolution optical remote sensing of the Earth, as well as radar all-weather monitoring.

The production of components for small satellites from polymer composite materials is one of the important tasks of the company. By reducing the mass of satellites, this will reduce the cost of launching spacecraft into orbit and increase the speed of their production.

In the "valley," the company will launch the production of satellite cases, including those with heat removal coatings, as well as solar panels.

"Our plans include the development and production of high-tech components, for this we agreed to open a laboratory. Participation in this project will accelerate the creation of satellites due to high rates of automation of the manufacture of hull elements and reduce the cost of launching vehicles into orbit, "said Vladislav Ivanenko, General Director of Satellites.

"It is very important for us that Satellite has become a resident of Composite Valley among the first five high-tech companies to receive this status. From that moment, we became an active innovative scientific and technological center and begin to solve the practical problems facing our development institute - the creation of low-tonnage production of scarce import-substituting, as well as innovative polymer binders and component base for their production, production of composite materials with special properties for civil industry. "Composite Valley" should become a national chemical cluster with a single innovative environment, to which, in fact, the metaphor of the valley, borrowed from the best world practices, refers to us. The company "Satellites" is our important strategic partner in solving this problem, "said Nikita Garadzha, General Director of JSC" UK INTC "Composite Valley."

2021

Commissioning of the first section of serial assembly of satellite CubeSat platforms

Sputnik, part of Sitronics Group, a subsidiary of AFK Sistema, has commissioned its first mass assembly site in Russia for satellite platforms of small spacecraft, which is located in the Skolkovo Technopark. The production site will carry out serial assembly of CubeSat platforms OrbiCraft-Pro of its own design in sizes from 1U to 12U weighing from 1 to 24 kg, Sitronics reported on December 16, 2021.

The site is divided into a number of process areas depending on the degree of air cleanliness: storage of components, workplaces for personnel, a functional test area, a clean room for storing finished spacecraft and working with them.

As noted, Sputnik employees implemented the concept of maximum localization of assembly and testing of products. It allows you to reduce the number of movements of the product and ensure its presence in the "clean zone," that is, in the room in which the concentration of aerosol particles is minimized. The site is designed taking into account the requirements for ensuring the cleanliness class of the room, imposed in the electronic industry.

Previously, the company carried out a piece assembly of satellite platforms. The capacity of the commissioned section is about 30 sets of spacecraft per year, which ensures the implementation of the company's existing and concluded contracts for 2022-2024.

"It is planned to further expand the production of CubeSat satellites, which will ensure Sitronics Group's plans to launch small spacecraft in the coming years to develop various services based on, satellite data including for the operation of automatic identification systems in, navigation monitoring and transmitting telemetry, remote sensing," - Lands said the president of Sitronics Group. Nikolay Pozhidaev

According to Sitronics representatives, new approaches to the use of insulating technologies, combined with the optimization of assembly processes, make it possible to achieve a planned production volume in a compact room with convenient workplaces.

As of mid-December, the site is undergoing the process of assembling and testing contracted satellites, the launch of which is expected in 2022.

Investing billions in its own satellite Internet service

The Sputnik company, which in August 2021 was acquired by Sitronics, a member of AFK Sistema, will invest "several billion rubles" in the launch of about 100 small space satellites. This was announced in early December 2021 by the managing partner of AFK Sistema Alexei Katkov.

At the time this statement was made, the Satellite orbital group consisted of three satellites of its own. In 2022, the number of spacecraft in orbit Lands should grow to 22, follows from the company's presentation.

AFK Sistema invests billions in its own satellite Internet service

The project can use nanoappliers based on the OrbiCraft-Pro satellite platform. On this platform, the company is developing the Zorkiy medium-resolution DZZ satellite, the Atomsat radar satellite is being developed on the basis of the Pallada platform, an official representative of Sitronics told Vedomosti.

According to Alexei Katkov, launching a satellite into space costs about 10 million rubles, the market value of its production is about the same. Thus, putting 100 vehicles into orbit can cost 2 billion rubles.

To provide geo-information solutions based on the analysis of Earth remote sensing data, Sitronics and Satellites are developing a single marketplace of relevant services by early December 2021. It is assumed that the new platform will allow the group of companies to place spatial data from satellites on it, and consumers to work with information through a common interface on the Internet using ready-made tools in the format of statistical reports.

With the help of its own space flotilla, Sputnik plans to develop a satellite Internet of Things service with the ability to transmit SMS from stationary or mobile objects. It is expected that the technologies will be applied in industry and the fuel and energy complex, including on the Northern Sea Route, as well as for monitoring the carbon footprint, deforestation, fires and radar sensing of the Earth.^[2]

Sitronics acquired Satellite

On August 24, 2021, Sitronics announced that it had entered the capital of the Russian private company Satellite, which produces nano- and micro-satellites, space components and technologies. According to the database of legal entities Kontur.Fokus, "since August 23," Sitronics "has owned 71.06% in the authorized capital of" Satellite. " The amount of the transaction was not disclosed.

The remaining part of Sputnik is distributed among six individuals: 17.4% belong to Irina Kazovskaya, 5.88% to Alexander Purikov, 1.5% to Stanislav Karpenko, 1.25% to Anatoly Kopik and 0.73% to Roman Zharkikh.

Prior to that, the main owner of Sputnik was Evgeny Andryushin, who at the time of the transaction owned 65.16% in the authorized capital of the company.

Integration of TabletSat-Aurora, the first satellite of the Sputnik company, with the Dnipro launch vehicle (photo - Sputnik)

Satellite operates in the small spacecraft market, specializing in satellites weighing from 1 to 200 kg. After the purchase, Sitronics plans to provide and develop digital services based on data from low-orbit satellites for a wide range of customers, the company said.

The key trends in the space market are miniaturization and cheaper vehicles. The global market for nanosatellites and microsatellites will grow rapidly in the next few years. The demand for services and services based on satellite data will only grow, and to a greater extent among commercial companies, "says Alexey Katkov, chairman of the board of directors of the Sitronics group, managing partner of AFK Sistema. - We plan that the acquisition of Sputnik will allow us to enter the international market of small spacecraft and occupy a significant share of the Russian market.

Sitronics told TAdviser that their companies are most interested in markets and directions of digital services based on data from low-orbit satellites, such as the AIS market. It now has only 3 major foreign players. A monopoly of Western providers has developed on the Russian market today, according to Sitronics. The acquisition of Sputnik allows Sitronics to develop its own network of AIS receivers and, in general, reduce the share of dependence on foreign space data suppliers.

It is also interesting to develop the direction of radar space images, which are now provided only by foreign companies. Such images are important for the development of the Northern Sea Route, - said TAdviser in Sitronics.

In particular, small spacecraft can be equipped with systems that provide radar images of the Earth, infrared and multispectral cameras, optical systems with different resolution. Using satellites from low orbits, it is also possible to measure the concentration of various gases in the atmosphere.

Using our own satellites, we strengthen our solutions in the field of maritime navigation and navigation. We will also be able to fully implement geoanalytics and space monitoring services, both to solve urgent state tasks of controlling climatic changes, early detection of forest fires, illegal logging, assessing the level of atmospheric pollution, monitoring agricultural land, and to solve business problems, "said Nikolai Pozhidaev, President of the Sitronics Group.

Given the knowledge intensity and manufacturability of the sphere, the threshold for entering the industry is quite complex, so the competition in the market for such services cannot be called extremely high, TAdviser was explained in Sitronics.

2018: Participation in a scientific and educational space project

On August 15, 2018, scientific and educational nanosatellites of the CubeSat SiriusSat-1 and SiriusSat-2 format were launched from the ISS, created by pupils of the Sirius educational center in Sochi on the basis of the Orbicraft-Pro satellite designer developed by the company.

The SiriusSat-1 satellite, in particular, in the summer of 2017 in Sochi was demonstrated to President Vladimir Putin and therefore received the unofficial name "presidential"^[3].

2014: Putting the first Russian private microsatellite into orbit

On June 19, 2014, the 26 kg Tabletsat-Aurora apparatus was launched into low Earth orbit, becoming the first Russian private microsatellite.

2013: Launch of a microsatellite on the Russian Dnipro launch vehicle

In 2013, open specifications were created to integrate the payload into the satellite platform, experimental samples of elements of the microsatellite control system were collected, and an experimental transport and launch mechanism was developed.

In November 2013, a contract was signed between Sputnik and MKK Kosmotras to launch a microsatellite-technological demonstrator TabletSat-Aurora, developed by the Sputnik team, on the Russian Dnipro launch vehicle.

2012: Funding from Skolkovo

In 2012, an application was submitted for financing work on the development of promising technologies for creating service systems and microsatellite platforms based on them. The work received co-financing from the Skolkovo Foundation, starting in August 2012.

2011: Creation of "Satellite"

In 2011, the department was transformed into the company "Satellite." In the same year, the company became a resident of Skolkovo.

2009: The Birth of the Company

In 2009, the department of satellite technologies was created at ITC SCANEX LLC to develop a system for orientation and stabilization of the Chibis M microsatellite by order of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. As part of the work, a group of specialists created the system itself, software and mathematics for it, as well as a ground stand of semi-surface modeling for functional development of the system in terrestrial conditions.

Notes