Small spacecraft and two nanosatellites planned to be created under Union State's Complex-SG programme by 2026

This was stated by the Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology of Belarus, Sergei Shlychkov, BelTA reports

“The Union State’s Complex-SG space science and technology programme continues to be implemented in 2024. It is a continuation of the space projects implemented by the Union State, and it is aimed at developing the basic elements of orbital and ground-based facilities for the creation of multi-satellite constellations of small spacecraft for observing the Earth's surface and near-Earth outer space. We expect that by 2026, a small spacecraft and two nanosatellites – a Russian and a Belarusian one – will be created under the programme,” Sergei Shlychkov said.

This will allow Belarus to develop in the field of instrumentation related to the creation of small satellites, as well as produce high-tech products on its territory, and form personnel for the space industry. “With the help of such satellites, for example, we will be able to obtain more complete and up-to-date information about temperature anomalies, forest fire locations, including those approaching the border of Belarus. This will help the units of the Ministry for Emergency Situations eliminate the fire with minimal losses. It is also important that observation of farmland from space will contribute to improving the quality of crop yield forecasts, and observation of geological formations will increase the efficiency of mineral prospecting,” the Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology added.

The state customers of the State Union programme are the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Roscosmos State Corporation. The United Institute for Informatics Problems at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the A.A. Maximov Space Systems Research Institute of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre became the principal agencies.