Reshetnev Company Develops New Spacecraft Orientation Method

It has already been tested on SKIF-D, the first satellite of the Sphere project

Satellite builders from RESHETNEV told about one of the new developments. An innovative method of spacecraft orientation has already been successfully tested on the first device of the federal project "Sphere", the demonstration satellite "Skif-D" . It has been in space since autumn 2022, providing high-quality live video communication and other tasks.

A distinctive feature of the orientation method developed at the enterprise is the exclusion of the solar sensor and angular velocity meter from the standard instrument set, which was previously used on low-orbit satellites. On the SKIF-D demonstration spacecraft, their functions were performed by a magnetometer and a star sensor. Reshetnev also created new algorithms for performing the modes of calming the spacecraft and its orientation to the Sun. This approach made it possible to reduce the cost of manufacturing the Skif-D satellite and reduce the amount of testing. Testing in space conditions confirmed the correctness of the technical solutions proposed by the company's specialists.
Press service of JSC "RESHETNEV"

The new orientation method will be used on spacecraft for the Marathon IoT multi-satellite data transmission system, the first satellites of which will be launched into orbit before the end of the year. Work is underway to adapt this method for the Gonets-M1 and SKIF devices.

Also, to optimize and speed up production, RESHETNEV this year began to create its own section for assembling and testing payload modules for the Express-AMU4, Express-RV, Yamal-501, Luch-5VM communication spacecraft and other satellites. For the same purpose, satellite builders are opening their own production of waveguides.

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"RESHETNEV" will build ground-based communication complexes for "Gontsov" throughout Russia. The new Gonets-M1 satellites will begin to be launched as early as 2027