The Russian "Lobachevsky" satellite, created by Lobachevsky Nizhny Novgorod State University based on the "Geoscan 16U" platform, has successfully passed testing for effectiveness in monitoring agricultural crops. Geoscan company, using its images, calculated the normalized difference vegetation index, which allows assessing the condition and development of vegetation, predicting yields, and controlling land use, "Pervy Tekhnichesky" was informed by the press service of Geoscan Group. The spatial resolution of the device is 4 meters per pixel – this provides a more detailed picture compared to European Sentinel satellites, access to which is restricted for Russia.
To demonstrate the capabilities of the device, specialists used a multispectral image of an agricultural area near Paris. The image clearly distinguishes fields without vegetation, areas with low and high vegetation activity. Pavel Sirotinkin, Head of Projects at Geoscan Group, noted that a constellation based on small platforms could become a more efficient and inexpensive alternative to Western services.
The "Lobachevsky" satellite is based on the "Geoscan 16U" platform. The multispectral camera manufactured by JSC "NPO "Lepton" has a resolution of 4 meters per pixel at an orbital altitude of 500 km. A hyperspectral camera, created at Samara University named after Academician S.P. Korolev, is also installed on board. The project was implemented as part of the Space-π educational program with the support of the Innovation Promotion Foundation and the Nizhny Novgorod REC.
Geoscan opened its space division in 2021. During this time, the company has created 15 small spacecraft of the CubeSat 3U form factor and 2 satellites of the CubeSat 16U form factor. As of July 2026, 13 Geoscan-developed small spacecraft are in orbit.