Russian Small Satellites
M.Ovchinnikov
The changes occurring in economic and political life of Russia are the real basis for integration of russian space science and industry in international market of space service. Just the high technologies, accumulated for long years of resistance in "Cold War" plus the new economic conditions, though rather "rigorous" and sometimes non-friendly in favor to manufacturer, are capable to push the effective integration processing in global market on the basis of initiative and competition.
Let's consider it on the example of the small satellites that are intensively developed high-technology subject over the world.
Due to vast territory of Russia the suppressing majority of projects of small satellite developed now in Russia is directed on creation of regional and interregional communication and remote satellite networks. The existing deficit of means of communication is huge indeed and despite obvious liquidity of this segment of market, it remains practically unsaturated. The poorness of the long-term investments directed into the development of space facilities forces the designers of communication means to search the approaches for inexpensive and not requiring a long-time period design and manufacture of equipment and space facilities. From the cost and duration of development, and launching up into the orbits points of view the small satellites satisfy these conditions in a good way. To be can due to insufficient capacity of power sources, small allowable volume and weight of on-board equipment these satellites are used predominate for creation low-orbit satellite communication networks. To coverall needed areas on the Earth's surface the satellites are to be placed on the near-polar orbits. The low-orbit satellite network permits to be satisfied both by present opportunities for arrangement of board equipment but also by low-powerful portable transmitters. The communication between correspondents located outside the zone of visibility of one satellite, is executed either by transportation of message memorized in on-board computer to zone of visibility of correspondent as an electronic mail means, or by organization of intersatellite communication network. This network permits to realize the communication in real scale-time between any points of the Earth's surface. Utilization of the low-orbit satellites on near-polar orbits permits in many cases to refuse the geostatinary satellites with their demerits.
In Russia during the whole period of space industry development the small satellites were regularly orbited. They served mainly experimental purposes for testing instruments and structure elements for large spacecrafts. However, later they became more independent of large satellites. Basically, they belong to communication satellites. Other intensive developed direction is satellites for remote sounding, scientific, and technological experiments.
The paper reflects author's point of view on the problem of russian small satellites development and contains brief review of these satellites.
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