The group of Russian meteorological satellites “has died,” the head of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of Russia or Roshydromet, Maxim Yakovenko told RIA Novosti.

“We have no satellite component left. The Russian group has just died... That is why we are now looking for opportunities to follow the Japanese who started using small satellites that are launched for half a year at low orbits... This year, if we gain consensus, we will try to make one trial launch,” Yakovenko said.

According to him, Roshydromet has in its possession two geophysical launch-rockets that can take about 15 kilograms of equipment to orbit at 115 kilometers and at 300 kilometers.

“We are now negotiating with a large IT company regarding this. We have a launch engine, a scanner to explore ice, and they have a block for internet. We will try to put this technology together to monitor ice,” the head of the service said.

Yakovenko noted that in Soviet times, Roshydromet had rocket platforms on Heiss Island in Franz Josef Land and in Tiksi.

“We used to have 900 rocket launches per year, three rockets per day. We launched even from our scientific and expedition vessels. They were specially equipped for launches of geophysical sattelites,” the Head of the service stated.

  Russia

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