Kremlin reveals plans for earth-probing satellite system
Roscosmos, the Russian state space corporation, is planning to launch a network of orbital satellites to remotely explore the surface of the earth.
The project has been titled Gosudaryevo Oko (“State Eye”), Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin announced on Friday.
“We have the projects ‘Digital Economy’, ‘Digital Earth’ and many others. But how can there be a digital economy if Roscosmos’s resources are not used?” he remarked while explaining his initiative.
“After the successful launch in December at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, we have augmented the remote earth exploration group, and are proposing a project which will be called ‘Gosudaryevo Oko’ or ‘Gosoko’ for short. We will be able to see the dynamics of the changing of any processes on earth,” he emphasized.
The plan is to use the system to monitor changes in infrastructural facilities. “This is a huge advantage for government organs,” Rogozin said, adding that the system will also be of use to the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) and people in the agricultural sector.
“For example, in the interests of EMERCOM, through severe smokiness, we can bring the firefighting aircraft out to an area of 25 square meters. We will give a presentation of the project for agricultural specialists: the use of drone technology in the agricultural sector, the possibility of monitoring arable land,” the head of Roscosmos continued.
The project will require funds from the state budget. At present, the funding for Roscosmos is 20 times less than for NASA, “but they require roughly the same from us as is required from NASA,” Rogozin complained in an interview with Russia 24 on 10 January. “In fact, one must understand that today, space activity is the showcase of a country’s technological capabilities, and it should be financed properly. Then there will be payoff.”