The satellites will be able to engage in remote sensing of the Earth, identify natural disasters, collect data on the movement of ships and aircraft
MOSCOW, January 21. /tass/. The Sputnix company and the laboratory of the MEPhI Institute have started assembling a satellite that will use the VERA plasma engine of their development. This was reported to TASS by the press service of Sitronics Group.
"Employees of the laboratory of plasma engines of the Institute "LaPlaz" of the MEPhI National Research University and the company "Sputnix", part of the Sitronics Group, have begun assembling a CubeSat 3U nanosatellite (30x10x10 cm - approx. TASS) with a pulsed plasma propulsion system VERA (Volume-Effective Rocket-propulsion Assembly)," the press service noted.
The group and the institute plan to create two such satellites, said Nikolay Pozhidaev, President of Sitronics Group. "Our joint plans are to assemble two experimental nanosatellites with a plasma installation for further flight tests. An important task of the engines is to breed satellites launched by a single group at different points of the orbit in order to increase the simultaneously controlled area," he explained.
As specified in the group, the satellites will be able to perform various tasks in orbit, including remote sensing of the Earth, identification of natural disasters, collect data on the movement of ships and aircraft, support Internet broadcasting, provide communication with remote autonomous meteorological and oceanographic stations.
In December, the press service of Sitronics Group informed TASS about the launch in Russia of tests of a plasma engine that will be able to hold the position of small spacecraft in orbit.