At the Moscow summit of heads of space agencies of the BRICS countries, Russia presented its project for a space activity safety system in near-Earth space, "Milky Way." An open information platform for the International Space Activity Safety System will be launched before the end of 2024. BRICS partners have been invited to the project.
The essence of the project is the international monitoring of the situation in space, tracking satellites and space debris. The platform will also be able to serve for the exchange of information about solar activity and galactic radiation, the trajectory of dangerous asteroids and other space objects.
The Russian side assumes that participation in the project will strengthen the status of the BRICS countries as a participant in safe activities in space. Access to the system will be open, according to Roscosmos, "for any participant, regardless of competencies and technical capabilities, goals and terms of cooperation".
Both inquisitive enthusiasts and amateur astronomers, as well as professional participants in space activities, up to regional or national monitoring systems, will be able to connect to the platform. Partners will be offered, at their choice and desire, both to receive information, products, services, and to offer their own in accordance with their requests.
Technically, "Milky Way" is based on the Russian automated system for warning about dangerous situations in near-Earth space. It will consist of a group of specialized satellites for monitoring near-Earth space. The first of them is planned to be launched around 2027. An automated warning system of 65 telescopes will be connected to this space segment.
As Yuri Borisov told reporters, the functionality of "Milky Way" can be expanded, since the system "has great potential for growth and scaling of opportunities in relation to participants". This could be both data exchange on remote sensing of the Earth, and "other areas".
When connected to it by all countries, the software package will be able to provide information exchange between all participants and offer operational solutions. If the BRICS countries are ready, we will work out cooperation mechanisms more specifically.
Earlier, the UN Security Council did not adopt the draft resolution of Russia on the prevention of an arms race in outer space and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in it. Nine out of fifteen countries had to adopt the initiative for its adoption, but in fact only seven votes were collected. Russia was supported by China, Algeria, Guyana, Ecuador, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.
The United States, France, Great Britain, Japan, Slovenia, the Republic of Korea and Malta voted against. One country, Switzerland, abstained from voting.
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