Interstate Council on Outer Space of CIS Member States held in Minsk

The operation of the Belarusian spacecraft for remote Earth sensing is planned to be extended until 2024. This was reported today at the first meeting of the CIS Interstate Council on Outer Space. This year, Belarusian scientists plan to complete the conceptual design of a new satellite with ultra-high resolution, and to start its creation. 

For more than 7 years Belarus has been receiving actual information fr om its satellite. The first Belarusian spacecraft was put into orbit in July 2012 together with the Russian satellite Canopus. There is a real-time communication with the Belarusian satellite in the flight control center.

Vladimir Yushkevich, Head of the Flight Control Center of the Belarusian space mission "Geoinformation Systems" under the NAS of Belarus: "Specialists in telemetry data processing analyze the work of all on-board systems of the spacecraft. If any additional service on the Belarusian spacecraft is needed, additional commands are made in real time on board for further stable operation of the spacecraft".

By the way, the operating life of the Belarusian satellite has been extended to 2024, which will save a lot of money. However, we are already working on a new one together with our Russian colleagues.

Valentin Orlovich, Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physics, Mathematics and Informatics, NAS of Belarus: "A new satellite with significantly higher resolution is being developed. If the resolution of the old satellite was 2.1 m on the Earth's spatial surface, the new satellite will have 0.35 m."

Vasily Sivuha, Head of the Center for Operation of the Belarusian Space System for Remote Sensing of the Earth at Geoinformation Systems NAS of Belarus:  "The ground infrastructure of the Belarusian space system for remote earth sensing is to be thoroughly modernized. It is planned to launch the Russian-Belarusian spacecraft In 2023 ".

There is potential for cooperation. As practice shows, they are interested in the Belarusian experience. And one of such opportunities is the first meeting of the Interstate Council on Outer Space, wh ere the leaders of the CIS space sector gathered. 

Azamat Batyrkozha, Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan:  "Our states already have experience of cooperation in space activities. The construction of an assembly and test complex for spacecraft has been completed in Kazakhstan. This year we plan to complete the certification. At this plant it will be possible to create spacecraft, their parts for future joint projects".

Vladimir Gusakov, Chairman of the Interstate Council on Outer Space of the CIS Member States: "Each country has  developed its own space programs separately. Now we need to coordinate them, and now it will be possible to share the information as well as to integrate systems, to integrate processing, reception and management of spacecrafts, develop new vehicles, apply the newest methods of programming." 

This agreement was signed by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the state corporation Roskosmos. It will now include seven spacecraft. This combination of satellites will allow to receive information virtually online.