TSAMTO, May 31. The launch of the first radar Earth observation satellite "Obzor-R" is planned for next year. This, as reported by "RIA Novosti", said the deputy director of the Department of navigation space systems of Roscosmos Valery Zaichko.
Earlier it was reported that the launch of Obzor-R by the Soyuz-2.1 a launch vehicle from the Plesetsk cosmodrome is scheduled for the third quarter of 2021, the agency notes.
"The first Obzor-R will launch in 2022, "Zaichko said in an interview with the Russian Space magazine published by Roscosmos.
As reported, the launches of the two Obzor-R spacecraft, originally scheduled for 2018 and 2020, were postponed to 2021 and 2023. Later, the press service of Roscosmos told RIA Novosti that the launch of the second "Review-R" is not planned until 2026.
V. Zaichko also said that now the orbital grouping of civil Russian Earth observation satellites consists of 11 satellites: one "Resource-P", five "Canopus-V", three "Meteor-M" and two "Electro-L".
According to him, this year it is planned to launch another Meteor-M, in 2022 – two Resurs-P and one Condor-FKA, in 2023 – one Arctic-M and one Condor-FKA.
The Obzor-R satellite will solve the tasks of various ministries and departments of the Russian Federation: mapping, monitoring natural and man-made emergencies, identifying potentially dangerous geological processes, searching for minerals, and others. It will be able to conduct remote sensing of the Earth at a time when clouds or night make it difficult or impossible for optoelectronic devices to work. The main working tool of the satellite is the Kasatka – R radar, which allows you to obtain images of the Earth's surface with a resolution of up to 30 centimeters per pixel.
Currently, there is not a single radar satellite in the Russian orbital group, RIA Novosti notes.