Space systems research institute in Space and Earth exploration

(projects MFSS, IGMASS)

V.A.Menshikov

"A.A.Maximov Space Systems Research Institute" - branch of "FSUE Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center"

Russia

A.A.Maximov Space Systems Research Institute has been one of the most effective branches of FSUE Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center for more than 13 years. The Research Institute is actively involved in the development of important objects and natural resources monitoring system using data from the Earth remote sensing and satellite navigation systems, creation and adaptation of high-efficiency technologies of navigation and ballistic support of spacecrafts for scientific, social and economical applications, development of novel energy-efficient technologies and alternative energy sources.

A.A.Maximov Space Systems Research Institute (SS RI) provides scientific and methodological support of launches of "Proton", "Rokot" and "Angara" boosters, organization and support of environmental monitoring from space, research of basic and applied problems of space technologies,...

In SS RI special attention is paid to the problem of increasing safety of existing and novel space rockets and satellites, and improvement of their operation system. The work is in hand on development of technical documents for rocket-and-space hardware exploitation, development of an automated control system and estimation of technical condition of small space vehicles.

Besides, SS RI takes part in development of reliability standards for rocket-and-space hardware, including the international standards. Research area of the Institure is constantly expanding. SS RI takes up a worthy position in the structure of Khrunichev Leading State Research and Production Space Center as its scientific component; it makes ever growing contribution in development of native cosmonautics as one of the Federal Space Agency`s enterprises [1-6].

SS RI is rather young enterprise of this industry sector, but highly qualified employees experienced in rocket-and-space engineering have been working there since the moment of the Institute foundation. Nowadays there work more than 300 specialists, including 76 employees with scientific degrees. The SS RI staff includes 17 Doctors of Sciences, 59 Candidates of Sciences (PhD), 7 Honoured Scientists of the Russian Federation. There are 15 Professors among them. Department of "Space communication and control devices" of MIREA is established under A.A.Maximov Space Systems Research Institute. Future engineering and technical personnel study at this department and at the departments of other Universities: MSU, Bauman MSTU, MAI.

Nowadays one fifth of all the Institute employees (more than 50 specialists) are the young specialists under 30 years old. SS RI guarantees all the social benefits to its young employees as provided by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, and also gives an opportunity to take a postgraduate course at the Institute. SS RI attracts young specialists with an average salary of more than 30 000 rubles and an interesting job, which is indicative of the management foresight and effectiveness. A number of promising programs are in hand at the Institute nowadays.

Establishment of a multifunctional space system (MFSS) of the Union State is among the major Institute's projects. SS RI plays the leading role in MFSS establishment, the Institute's Director is entrusted with a duty of Chief Designer of this space system. MFSS is intended for supplying the Russian and Belorussian state agencies and special services with the information obtained by space means. This will make it possible, for example, to prevent the emergencies. Data obtained from space can also be used for the benefit of agriculture, forestry, water resources policy, ecological situation control, radiation monitoring, natural resources investigation, prospecting minerals, etc. Joint Russian and Belorussian Program contains provisions for development of compact special and servise equipment enabling to build small and micro satellites with much lower costs of launching into orbit.

National Space Agencies supported a promising project of the International Global Aerospace Monitoring System (IGMASS) submitted by SS RI scientists in 2007. From the very beginning, this idea was supported by the management of the International Academy of Astronautics. The Academy organized a research group which includes the representatives of Germany, India, Italy, Russia, USA, Tunisia, Ukraine, France and Japan for perscrutation of the IGMASS project initiation. Currently the project is being implemented under the auspices of the Russian Federal Space Agency.

IGMASS in brief

Devices working in visible and thermal ranges, low- and high-frequency wave and plasma systems, hardware for energetic particles monitoring, magnetometers, mass analyzers and spectrometers will be used for observations of the Earth surface, atmosphere and ionosphere. The data will be acquired and processed on board the space vehicles (SVs), transmitted to the ground stations working in a real-time or time-delay mode (the data being accumulated in onboard storage devices of SV for primary processing). Afterwards the information will be transmitted to the interational and national centers for emergency management. The provisions are made for: monitoring data acquisition by the ground means from spacecrafts and aircrafts, information processing for real-time and near-term forecast of natural disasters, imaging and storage of the information at the international emergency control centers, effective informing of the state control agencies of the member countries and UNO. Providing the customers with navigation data from space systems will enable to efficiently perform evacuation activities, elaborate on the efficient logistics of people and cargoes, and solve other social and economic tasks.

It is also possible to perform distant education and train specialists in monitoring technique and forecast of natural disasters using advanced space and information technologies. The program developed at SS RI is suitable for distant education in all the variety of aerospace disciplines. This is in essence a telecommunication subsystem via which the information is transmitted from the Master technical educating Center of SS RI to the regional centers. The system has been already tested in the framework of "KazSat" Program. Currently this approach is being considered for retraining the specialists under the Project of a multifunctional space system of the Union State. The efficiency of distant education of Belorussian specialists within the framework of the Project is indisputable. In prospect the distant education facilities are supposed to be employed in IGMASS project.

The Project started at the First International Specialized Symposium "Space and Global Security of Humanity" heldљ under the aegis of the United Nations in Cyprys at the beginning of November, 2009, where the International Committee on IGMASS Implementation was formed.

The Second International Specialized Symposium "Space and Global Security of Humanity" was organized by the International Academy of Astronautics, Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky, International Association "Znaniye", Transport and Telecommunication Institute (Latvia). It was held in Riga in July, 2010. The Simposium united the scientists and researchers from all over the world: space agencies representatives, famous scientists, managers of the enterprises and organizations of rocket-and-space industry, industry organizers, notable businessmen, politicians, activists of different social movements for environmental safety.

During the International Astronautic Congress in Prague in October, 2010, the IGMASS statute was approved. Thus, the Project achieved a legal position, which enabled to start its implementation in practice.

IGMASS was discussed in Washington in November 2010 in the framework of the Heads of Space Agencies Summit, which was held under the aegis of the the International Academy of Astronautics. The Summit became a milestone in the project implementation process, inasmuch as not all the Space agencies Heads knew about the initiative of Russian scientists before the session in November.

30 leaders of the national space agencies took part in the Summit of Space agencies Heads, timed to the 50^th Anniversary of the International Academy of Astronautics, including:

-         Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) - A.N.Perminov;

-         National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) - Ch.Bolden;

-         European Space Agency (ESA) - J.-J.Dordain;

-         China National Space Administration (CNSA) - Chen Qiufa;

-         Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)- л.Radhakrishnan;

-         Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-K.Tachikawa;

They discussed astronautics development and determined the main trends in space activities.

Note that the decision to hold the Summit was taken at the 60^th International Astronautic Congress, held in Taejon, Republic of Korea. Besides, an organizing committee and workgroups on individual directions were established in the framework of IAC, including:

1.      Manned space flights.

2.      Space exploration using automatic space vehicles (SV).

3.      Climate reversal.

4.      Emergency management/Natural disasters.

The workgroup "Emergency management / Natural disasters" besides Russian scientists included Navalgund R. (India) - chairman of the workgroup; Akinede J. (Nigeria); Hasson A. (France); Kabashkin I.V. (Latvia). The workgroup took an active part in the Summit and prepared a final document "Space-based Disaster Management: The Need for International Cooperation". The document notes, in particular, that IGMASS, opposite to the existing systems and programs (GEOSS, GMES, DMC, Sentinel Asia, UN Spider), is a project directed at establishment of the system which provides the warning of the international community of imminent natural and man-caused disasters on the basis of operative forecasting using the scientific and technical potential of ground, aero and space monitoring devices.

Just before the Summit-2010, the Russian scientists, the Comittee Executive Secretariat members, held a number of meetings aimed at IGMASS promotion, attracting new project members, technical realization of the project, and drawing bankrolls.

Meetings with the business representatives of the North America were held in New York on 12-14 November 2010. At the meeing with Milind Pimprikar (CANEUS International Company founder and chairman) an arrangement was made to involve more than 55 organizations, which cooperate with CANEUS, in IGMASS project. Moreover, joint realization of the project of the multifunctional space system for the Earth remote sensing for the benefit of Saudi Arabia was discussed.

Representative of Near Earth Investment Company Ian Fichtenbaum was involved in discussion of increasing the membership of IGMASS project and possible investments in the Project.

Negotiations with the Head of NASA Investment Cooperation Program Douglas A. Comstock were held in Washington on 16 November 2010.љ During this meeting (the first one with NASA representatives), the main ideas of IGMASS project were explicated, which kindled the interest of the American side. Some possible directions of cooperation were outlined, including the use of the International space station (ISS) for experiments for the benefit of IGMASS. Moreover, clear arrangements were made to maintain the contacts (in particular with the Head of the Earth remote sensing Program Lawrence Fridlem).

IGMASS project got an univocal support of the Heads of Space Agencies Summit. The Chairman of the workgroup "Emergency Management/Natural Disasters", Director of Space Applications Centre ISRO R.R.Navalgund (India) particularly noted the significance of IGMASS initiative directed towards attenuation of global geophysical effects in his paper. It was also noted that IGMASS project realization would promote the international cooperation, without which it is impossible to efficiently warn of natural and man-caused disasters and threats from space.

Moreover, at the special Summit-2010 session, devoted to natural disasters, the need for countermeasures for prevention of asteroid danger and extreme space weather, expansion of satellite constellation for the Earth remote sensing, aimed first of all at natural and man-caused disasters forecasting, development and verification of mathematical models for negative natural phenomena forecast, was mentioned.

The Head of Roskosmos A.N.Perminov making his report stressed particular importance of IGMASS establishment and its promising potential for wide international cooperation.

The Summit-2010 gave a unique opportunity for IGMASS promotion at the level of space agencies leaders. Possible involvement of the ISS in experiments with the use of special onboard equipment developed in the framework of IGMASS to monitor the signs of natural and man-caused disasters was discussed with Administrator of NASA Charles Bolden. This idea was supported by the American side, and the Roskosmos Head A.N.Perminov gave instructions to submit clear proposals to NASA.

Meeting with the official representative of the Vietnam Academy of Sciences and Technology was held at the Summit, where the agreement was obtained to hold IGMASS seminar inviting the representatives of the concerned states of Southeast Asia. The same proposal to hold the Seminar came from the Chief Executive Officer of Chilean Space Agency Dr. Juan Fernando Acuna.

The ideas which laid the foundations for IGMASS project were reflected in the final Summit Declaration, approved by all space agencies heads in the part of application of space devices for emergency management. The need for expansion orbital constellation is mentioned in the Declaration. The space vehicles should be equipped with on board instrumentation of different electromagnetic spectrum ranges. Attention should be paid to development of reliable methods for natural disasters forecasting and corresponding onboard instrumentation to monitor their signs. Besides, the ground infrastructure at the international and national levels should be expanded, with enhanced application of telecommunication space systems for transmittion of the Earth remote sensing data. The Declaration points to the problems which are planned to be solved in the framework of IGMASS.

Nowadays it is obvious that the world space community seeks cooperation, directed at meeting the real needs of the Earth population, at support of safe and steady development.

Forecast of natural and man-caused phenomena nascence and development on the Earth becomes increasingly topical. The most widespread and dangerous natural disasters include the earthquakes, tsunamis, eruptions, landslides, floods, tornadoes, and droughts. The earthquakes alone take more than 30 thousand lives away annually, and the caused damage amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars. The need for the system like IGMASS at the global level is undoubted.

The International Space Conference "Small satellite Programs for the benefit of social and economic development of the Southwest Africa countries, and the IGMASS project role in natural resources prospecting and natural disasters control" was successfully held in Boya (Cameroon), on 6-7 December 2010, on the basis of the country's leading University - Pan-African Institute For Development. Representatives from 10 countries participated: Great Britain, Gabon, Germany, Cameroon, Nigeria, Russia, Sudan, France, and Republic of South Africa. General Secretary of IAA Jean-Michel Contant, Mayor of Boya Joseph Martinece, Director of Pan-African Institute For Development Rosette Thomson, Head of IAA regional office Dr. Tomukum Chia, businessmen, representatives of the Ministry of science and education, and public-and-political circles participated in the gala opening ceremony. The central presentation of the plenary meeting "IGMASS Concept - new approach to the problem of natural disasters control in the global format" was devoted to the prospects of IGMASS implementation and exploitation of small SVs for the benefit of Southwest Africa countries. The subsequent two-day sessions specified the outlined concepts in the papers reported by Russian specialists:

-         Russian experience in SV creation and its application to IGMASS Project: problems and prospects;

-         development of IGMASS establishment concepts using scientific, engineering and organization potential of the African countries;

-         political and legal aspects of IGMASS Project realization;

-         IGMASS as a tool for organization of global information security area;

-         prospects of IGMASS implementation for the benefit of socio-cultural development of African countries: IGMASS humanitarian aspects";

-         IGMASS technologies and geoinformation systems for early warning of natural and regional threats".

These papers aroused keen interest of the conference participants. The fruitful exchange of views resulted in arrangements to sign a number of memorandums on cooperation in the framework of IGMASS project. Among the Partners there are: British Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., South African Council for Space Affairs (SACSA), Pan-African Institute for Development (PAID-WA), University of Boya, dedicated departments of the Ministries of Science and Education of Republic of Cameroon and Gabonese Republic. Potential of Russian cosmonautics, results obtained in the framework of Russian and Byelorussian MFSS program, and a number of primary steps in IGMASS implementation made the African countries interested in cooperation in some directions. These are: development of ground infrastructure (readiness in principle to discuss location of corresponding objects on their territory), participation in creation of the information profile of the system, telemedicine and distant education, including the specialists training, ..., in total this makes a spectrum of general humanitarian objectives of IGMASS Project.

The conference was over with the official establishment of IAA regional department in Cameroon, with signing the documents on cooperation and starting the practical work in Southwest Africa region, in the framework of IGMASS Project.

 

New approaches to the problems of Global security of Mankind via implementation of space programs which can be realized owing to the selfless work of engineers, scientists, designers of Russian cosmonautics were appropriately apprehended by the World community and have no alternative.

 

 

References

1.      A.N.Perminov, V.A.Menshikov. International aerospace monitoring system and Mankind security. APAAS International Journal, Kazan - Daytona Beach, No.1(30), vol.15, 2010, P.1-22.

2.      2. V.A.Menshikov, V.B.Rudakov, V.N.Sychev. Objectives, main trends and development prospects of automated space vehicles, Russian scientific and engineering journal "Polyot", Mashinostroenie Publishing House, No.6, 2009.

3.      V.A.Menshikov, M.I.Makarov, S.V.Pushkarskiy. Multifunctional space system of the Union State. Publishing House of Space Systems Research Institute - Branch of Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, 2007, Moscow.

4.      V.A.Menshikov, A.N.Perminov, Yu.M.Urlichich. Global problems of humanity and space, MAKD Publishing House, Moscow, 2010.

5.      R.Navalgund, V.Menshikov, J.Akinyede. Space-based Disaster Management: The Need for International Cooperation (Elimination of the consequences and control of natural disasters using space systems: need for international cooperation), Washington, 2010.

6.      B.E.Chertok, et al. Cosmonautics of the XXI century, RTSoft Publishing House, Moscow, 2010.