Electro-L (weather satellites)

2023

The first deployment of a group of three satellites to quickly respond to an emergency

For the first time in its history, Russia has deployed a full constellation of hydrometeorological satellites in geostationary orbit. The press service of Roscosmos announced this on May 30, 2023.

The fact is that the geostationary hydrometeorological spacecraft Electro-L No. 4, after completing tests in orbit, began to be used for its intended purpose. It operates at a standing point of 165.8 ° east longitude, the Electro-L spacecraft No. 2 (launched on December 11, 2015) - 14.5 ° west longitude, Electro-L No. 3 (launched on December 24, 2019) - 76 ° east longitude.

For the first time in its history, Russia deployed a full constellation of hydrometeorological satellites in geostationary orbit

Thus, the Electro hydrometeorological space system constellation consisting of three satellites has been fully deployed in geostationary orbit, Roscosmos emphasized.

Electro-L satellites allow space photography of the Earth's surface from a geostationary orbit at a frequency of up to 15 minutes. Due to round-the-clock transmission of high-quality multi-spectral images from orbit in the visible and infrared ranges, global climate monitoring issues are solved, an analysis of the state of the waters of the seas and oceans is provided, the efficiency of weather forecasts is increased, emergency information is issued when emergencies are identified.

Electro-L spacecraft relay signals from emergency radio beams of the international satellite search and rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT. This, as noted in the state corporation, helps search and rescue services to respond more effectively to distress signals to save human lives.

The creation of Electro-L satellites is carried out in the interests of Roshydromet within the framework of the Federal Space Program of Russia by the S.A. Lavochkin Scientific and Production Association (part of Roscosmos).^[1]

First multispectral images

The Electro-L satellite No. 4 was launched on February 5, 2023. By March 9, 2023, the device came out in the vicinity of the standing point of 165.8 degrees east longitude. The first multi-spectral space images of the entire observed surface of the Earth from the Electro-L spacecraft No. 4 were obtained by the Unified Territorial-Distributed Information System for Remote Sensing of the Earth (UGDIS ERS) on March 10, 2023 at 04:00 Moscow time. This was reported by the Russian Space Systems (RKS).

The Electro space system, which has been operating in Earth orbit since 2011, along with Electro-L No. 4 includes two more satellites - Electro-L No. 2 (launched on December 11, 2015 and located at a standing point of 14.5 ° west longitude) and Electro-L No. 3 (launched on December 24, 2019 and located at a standing point of 76 ° east longitude). With the launch of Electro-L No. 4 into orbit, the Electro geostationary hydrometeorological space system was brought to its full composition. The Electro-L apparatus No. 4 operates at a standing point of 165.8 ° east longitude. All spacecraft are located at the design points of standing in geostationary orbit.

The features of the Electro-L satellites make it possible to conduct space surveys of the Earth's surface from a geostationary orbit with a frequency of up to 15 minutes. Due to round-the-clock transmission of high-quality multi-spectral images from orbit in the visible and infrared range, global climate monitoring issues are solved, an analysis of the state of the waters of the seas and oceans is provided, the efficiency of weather forecasts is increased, emergency information is issued when emergencies are identified.

Electro satellites relay signals from emergency radio beams of the international satellite search and rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT. This helps search and rescue services respond more effectively to distress calls to save human lives.

Development of on-board transceiving equipment

On February 28, 2023, the Russian Space Systems Holding (RKS, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) announced that it had developed and manufactured the on-board receiving and transmitting equipment of the Electro-L eco-monitoring satellite No. 4, a radio engineering complex and spacecraft data collection system. The instruments are designed to accumulate and transmit satellite images to Earth, as well as space weather data to accurately predict natural and climatic changes on the planet.

The on-board radio engineering complex (BRTK) transmits target information from the multi-zone shooting devices of the MSU-GS and the heliogeophysical equipment complex (GGAK-VE) to the Earth, and also relays data from the ground centers of Roshydromet, weather data collection platforms and buoys of the international satellite rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT.

The experience gained by our specialists in creating relay systems for previous Electro-L series devices made it possible to create equipment that does not require additional debugging at the flight test stage. Radio engineering equipment "Electro-L" No. 4 has become an evolution of serial production of onboard systems and target devices of meteorological geostationary spacecraft and is distinguished by the large use of modern domestic components, Director of projects for the creation of on-board equipment for communication, relay, search and rescue systems - Deputy General Designer of the RKS Alexander Kondrashov.

The on-board data collection system (BSSD) accumulates space survey data and service information from the on-board command device and target information from the heliogeophysical equipment complex. The data array is then transmitted through the on-board radio system to ground reception and processing stations, where several processing stages take place and is supplied to ground users. All systems involved in data transfer and processing are also developed and manufactured at the Russian Space Systems holding.

The receiving and transmitting equipment of the international search and rescue system COSPAS-SARSAT on board the satellite will allow relaying the signals of emergency buoys and detecting aircraft, ships and people in distress in 24/7 mode.

Spacecraft "Electro-L" No. 4 was launched on February 5, 2023 as the Baikonur cosmodrome. After the commissioning of the next Electro-L, Russia will form a full-fledged grouping of domestic geostationary meteorological satellites.

Development of LCS-GS scanning device

Specialists of the holding "Russian Space Systems" (RKS, part of the State Corporation "Roscosmos") developed and manufactured the main target device of the first serial satellite "Electro-L" No. 4 - a multi-zone scanning device MSU-GS. The equipment allows you to conduct round-the-clock multi-spectral shooting of the Earth to predict the weather on the planet. This was reported to the RKS on February 14, 2023.

The data obtained by the scanning device are color-synthesized images in three visible spectral channels and thermal "scans" of the earth's surface in seven infrared channels. The high quality of images is achieved, among other things, due to the deployment system developed in the RKS and remote focusing of the shooting equipment, which adjusts the shooting parameters depending on the surrounding space conditions - thermal and radiation effects on satellite instruments.

Electro-L No. 4 has two scanning devices that provide complete duplication of equipment, which guarantees fault-free operation of the satellite. LSG-GS can monitor the Earth at intervals of 15 to 30 minutes simultaneously in ten spectral bands, of which seven are thermal. The surface resolution is from 1 to 4 kilometers, and the accuracy of temperature measurement reaches 0.1 ° C. The RKS equipment allows you to receive information around the clock due to the presence of seven thermal channels, said the chief designer of the RKS direction Yuri Gervin.

The primary radiometric and geometric processing of information is carried out directly in the LCS-GS using its own computational means and algorithms laid down on Earth. The received digital stream is transmitted to the aircraft data recording and collection system (BSSD-VE), where it is combined into a single digital stream with target information from the heliogeophysical equipment system (GGAK-VE). Aircraft radio engineering system transmits it to ground reception points, where it is processed and then transmitted to consumers. All satellite systems involved in data transmission and processing are also developed and manufactured in the Russian Space Systems holding.

Successful launch of the Electro-L satellite No. 4

On February 5, 2023, the Electro-L hydrometeorological satellite No. 4 was launched and successfully launched into orbit, which is designed to provide units of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, as well as other departments with operational and independent hydrometeorological information.

According to Roscosmos, the mass of the new device is about 2.1 tons, the estimated service life is 10 years. The satellite will be in geostationary orbit 35,786 km from Earth.

Roscosmos on February 5, 2023 successfully launched a satellite to control natural phenomena

This is the first launch of a Russian launch vehicle from the Baikonur cosmodrome in 2023. Electro-L No. 4 was created by NPO named after S.A. Lavochkin.

Hydrometeorological satellites "Electro-L" allow you to receive and process multi-spectral images of cloud cover and the underlying earth's surface of the entire observed disk of the Earth, receive hydrometeorological data in orbit, perform telecommunication functions in terms of distribution, exchange of hydrometeorological and heliogeophysical data, as well as relay signals from emergency radio beams of the "Cospas-Sarsat" system.

By February 6, 2023, two Electro-L satellites are operating in orbit, which were launched into orbit in 2016 and 2019. Another such satellite is due to go into orbit in 2024.

As a platform, Electro-L uses the unified satellite platform of the Lavochkin NGO Navigator, developed since 2005. The power supply system consists of one photoelectric generator with an area of ​ ​ 8.17 m2 and an efficiency of 26.8%, developed at the ISS named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev on the basis of three-stage elements from gallium arsenide produced by Saturn OJSC. The system also includes a nickel-hydrogen battery 30NV-70A with a capacity of 70 A·ch with an average discharge voltage of 35 V, providing a power of 1700 W.^[2]

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