Geoscan 3U Satellite platform

Main article: Space satellites of countries of the world

2025: Putting 9 satellites into orbit

The group of companies, "Geoscan" known for manufacturing, unmanned aerial vehicles successfully launched nine experimental satellites into Earth orbit to test communication, navigation and remote sensing technologies. Lands The launch took place using the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle of the State Corporation from the Roskosmos cosmodrome. East This was reported by the press service of the Geoskan group of companies on July 25, 2025.

The launch of the launch vehicle took place at 08:54 Moscow time. Eight satellites on the Geoskan 3U platform and the first Russian cubsat of the 16U format called InnoSat16 were launched into orbit.

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Фото: Roscosmos

The InnoSat16 spacecraft is equipped with a panchromatic camera with a resolution of 2.5 meters per pixel at an orbit altitude of 500 kilometers. This satellite is designed to develop technological solutions in the field of remote sensing of the Earth and test new approaches to space photography.

Among the launched 3U cubsats is InnoSat3, equipped with a receiver for the Geoskan automatic identification development system. This satellite will be used to monitor maritime transport and track the movement of ships in the oceans.

The Geoskan-4 and Geoskan-5 satellites are equipped with transceivers developed by Gonets Satellite System JSC, which is part of Roscosmos. The Gonets company plans to test packet data transmission technology on these spacecraft.

Packet data technology is widely used in remote monitoring systems, personal communications and the Internet of Things. Testing in space conditions will assess the effectiveness of this solution for satellite communication constellations.

The 3U cubsat called "239Alferov," created for the Space- π Innovation Assistance Fund project, has also been launched into orbit. The customers of this satellite were the Presidential Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239 and the Physical and Technical School named after Zh.I.^[1]

2024: Launch of satellites based on the Geoscan 3U platform

On November 5, 2024, five nanosatellites were launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome, created on the basis of the updated Geoskan 3U platform as part of the Space- π project with the support of the Innovation Assistance Fund. Small spacecraft (MKA) will be used by educational organizations to train and conduct scientific research. Geoscan announced this on November 5, 2024.

The improved Geoscan 3U platform is made in a 3U form factor with a size of 100x100x340.5 mm and a weight of 2.3 kg. It uses original design solutions that made it possible to fit all modules of service systems satellite into one unit 100x100x100 mm and free the remaining two units for a payload in the form of small-sized scientific instruments weighing up to 3.6 kg.

For the updated platform, Geoscan developed modules: a flywheel unit for active triaxial orientation in orbit, allowing, on command Lands , to quickly rotate satellites in any direction; and the COMMX electronic module, which operates in the amateur X-band of frequencies (10.45-10.5 GHz) and provides a unidirectional channel communications along the space-to-Earth line with data transfer rates up to 250 Mbps.

Also among the basic technical solutions are radiation-resistant silicon photovoltaic converters with increased efficiency and a technological camera with a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels for obtaining video stream and photos. All electronic modules are more reliable and functional than the components that were installed in the first satellite of the Geoskan-Edelweiss company.

Geoscan's platform has proven operational in previous missions. On the Geoskan-Edelweiss satellite there were the first versions of onboard system boards, which we finalized and improved based on the results of tests in orbit. At the same time, it was possible to change the design so as to increase the volume for the customer payload. We also reduced the cost of cubsats due to the experience gained and an increase in the manufacturability of production. As a result, Geoskan has the most satellites in this Space- π launch, "said Alexander Khokhlov, head of the project department of the Geoskan MKA company.

The satellites were launched into a 500 km high solar-synchronous orbit on a Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with a Fregat upper stage in a container of the Russian company Aerospace Capital. The organizer was Roscosmos, and its subsidiary Glavkosmos acted as the operator of the launch of the associated payload. In total, within the framework of the Space- π educational project, 16 nanosatellites created by domestic manufacturers were sent on this launch vehicle.

In the first days of the orbital flight, an open network of ground-based satellite data receiving stations "SONICS," which is developing in accordance with the instructions of the President of Russia, will help to check the operability of all MKA launches. The project covers all time zones of the country, which allows you to continuously receive telemetry from satellites, and also provides information exchange within the network in real time. Geoscan donated the stations to educational institutions throughout Russia for training in the basics of radio communications and working with satellite data.

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