The launch of the first satellite of the Skif system will allow Russia to consolidate its orbital position. Thus, the general director of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, appreciated the importance of launching the Skif-D spacecraft on Twitter.
"With the first launch of the Skif, we will secure the necessary orbital position, which will be required for the deployment of a full — fledged system," the head of the state corporation noted.
Earlier, RIA Novosti, referring to the materials of the manufacturer — Information Satellite Systems, reported that the production of the first satellite of the Skif system, which, like its competitors Starlink and OneWeb, is designed for broadband Internet access, has begun in Russia.
The corresponding spacecraft was named "Skif-D". The Skif group will be part of the Sphere multifunctional satellite system. The Skif system itself will include 12 spacecraft located in an orbit with a height of 8070 kilometers.
In August, Rogozin said that the state corporation will receive the first funds for the creation of a scientific and technical reserve under the Sphere program in the coming days. "At first, we are talking about seven billion rubles, which should be implemented to create a scientific and technical reserve, that is, not the grouping itself, but the prototypes of the grouping," the manager said.
Ivan Potapov