"SPUTNIX" (part of Sitronics Group), under the federal scientific project Space-Pi, has created a 3U "ArcticSat" satellite for the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU).
The launch of "ArcticSat" has several goals: to study the impact of space weather factors on satellite systems in the polar regions, and to learn how to receive and process data on ship movements in the Northern Sea Route. It will be placed into Earth's orbit before the end of the year.
The payload to be placed on board the spacecraft is already being developed by students and scientists at the university. This equipment is for studying space weather in the polar regions of the planet and identifying ships in the Northern Sea Route. In particular, this includes:
- DeKoR-2 space radiation detector, designed to register X-ray photons, gamma quanta, and electrons;
- Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal receiver for obtaining information about the location and characteristics of marine vessels;
- Overview camera with a spatial resolution of 250 meters/pixel.
SPUTNIX notes that "ArcticSat" will help conduct detailed studies of how the space environment affects small satellites. Various factors in the space environment can cause material degradation, the build-up of bulk electric charge on board, electronic failures, and disruption of the satellite's communication with the ground station. The results of the study will help all Russian satellite manufacturers create more durable and high-quality spacecraft in the coming years.
In addition, along with the payload, an art object in the form of an octopus by Russian artist Nastya Miro will be placed on board the NAFU satellite as part of the "Octonautics" project, designed to draw public attention to the problem of space debris. It will become the world's first artwork placed into orbit.
Prior to this, SPUTNIX announced the launch of its nanosatellite with a super-hyperspectrometer at the end of 2024. The nanosatellite was developed by the private company itself, and the hyperspectrometer was developed by Samara University named after Korolev. Its spatial resolution is only 7 meters per pixel, which is a record for Russian hyperspectrometers installed on nanosatellites, and for larger spacecraft in Russia and abroad.
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