One of the advantages of the device is the ability to work around the clock in any weather, noted the scientific editor of Roscosmos Media Igor AfanasyevMOSCOW, May 27.
/tass/. The high-resolution radar satellite Condor-FKA, launched on Saturday night from the Vostochny cosmodrome, is a breakthrough for Russian cosmonautics. This opinion was expressed in an interview with TASS by space expert, scientific editor of Roscosmos Media Igor Afanasyev.
"This is a breakthrough for our country, because this device belongs to the class of small spacecraft, that is, it has a mass of less than one and a half tons, and at the same time it has very high characteristics," he said.
According to the expert, the device has a huge advantage over optical satellites of remote sensing of the Earth (remote sensing). "Optical satellites have operating time limits - that is, they don't work at night, they don't work in bad weather," he said, adding that Condor-FKA allows you to get radar images of the earth's surface around the clock and in any weather.
Afanasyev noted that such versatility allows the device to be used over the northern regions of Russia, where the polar night interferes with the operation of optical remote sensing satellites. "The Condor satellite is launched into an orbit from which the northern part of Russia and the regions of the North Pole will be visible. <...> Therefore, the device will be used, among other things, for mapping the ice situation and for laying ship routes along the Northern Sea Route. This is also very important," he stressed.
The expert added that the satellite will be able to carry out stereo filming of objects on Earth and compare images taken at different time intervals. According to him, the launch of another device - "Condor-FKA" No. 2 - will allow the grouping to work fully effectively in the interferometer mode - this means shooting the same object during a sequential flight of first one and then another satellite.
In turn, cosmonautics historian Alexander Zheleznyakov, in an interview with TASS, noted that the Condor-FKA is not the first Russian radar satellite, but the first such civilian device. He also expressed hope that the work of the satellite will benefit the country. "He will observe the earth's surface, will transmit data that will be processed. Yes, let's hope that it will affect the economic development of our country," Zheleznyakov said.
Condor is a series of small Earth remote sensing satellites developed by NPO Mashinostroeniya for various customers. The tasks of the devices include mapping the Earth's surface, environmental monitoring and exploration of natural resources. Two Condor spacecraft were launched into orbit in 2013-2014.
The first high-resolution radar satellite Condor-FKA No. 1 was launched on Saturday. According to NPOmash, the launch of the next device is scheduled for June 2024. The grouping devices will be able to receive detailed images with a resolution of up to 1 m in any weather and at any time of the day and survey the earth's surface in a band of up to 120 km in the survey mode.
NPOmash is also developing a satellite for the search for minerals "Condor-FKA-M". Its characteristics and timing will be clarified based on the results of the launch of two Condors-FKA.
