Russia builds first space surveillance system in the Arctic

Russia has become the first country in the world to build a space-based monitoring system for the Arctic region after a state commission approved the launch of the second Arktika-M satellite.

The Soyuz rocket lifted off from the launch pad at Baikonur carrying an Arktika-M satellite.

Citing a statement from the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Sputnik reported that in a breakthrough technological achievement, Russia has announced the development of a space-based hydrometeorological system that allows continuous observation of the Arctic region.

“Today, April 27, 2024, the State Commission for Flight Testing of Space Complexes for Socio-Economic, Scientific and Commercial Purposes reviewed the results of flight tests of the Arktika-M elliptical hydrometeorological space system with the Arktika-M No. 2 spacecraft. Based on the results of the review, the commission decided to complete the tests with the commissioning of the Arktika-M No. 2 spacecraft,” Roscosmos said in a statement on April 27.

Previously, at the end of 2023, according to TASS news agency, Russia's second Arktika-M meteorological satellite launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz-2.1b rocket was successfully placed into the designated orbit with the Fregat propulsion system.

The Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying the second Arktika-M satellite was launched at 12:18 p.m. on December 16, 2023, Moscow time. About 9 minutes after launch, the Fregat booster system on the upper stage separated from the third stage of the rocket with the satellite.

A weather satellite is a type of artificial satellite that is mainly used to monitor the weather and climate on Earth. Weather satellites can not only observe clouds but also light, fires, air pollution, auroras, sand and sandstorms, snow-covered areas, ice, ocean currents, etc.

The Arktika Satellite Climate and Hydrometeorology Space Monitoring System is designed to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic region. The system will require at least two satellites to operate effectively.

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