Russia launches five satellites aboard Soyuz-FG launcher

Russia’s Soyuz-FG launcher has launched five spacecraft, including the Russian satellites KANOPUS-V1 (Canopus-B) and MKA-PN1, and Canada’s exactView-1 satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Developed by the All-Russia Research Institute of Electromechanics (NPP VNIIEM), the KANOPUS-V1 (Canopus-B) satellite, launched aboard Soyuz-FG, will be used for remote sensing of the Earth.

The Russian NPO Lavochkin-built MKA-PN1 will gather information to assist meteorologists in developing models of ocean circulation and climate dynamics.

Soyuz-FG launcher has also launched the BKA satellite, which is stated to be the Belarusian equivalent of the Canopus-B.

Launched under the ‘On-Orbit-Verification’ (OOV) programme, the German Space Agency’s (DLR) TET-1 satellite, also part of the launch, is the country’s first technology test-bed, with 11 experiments on board to operate in space for 14 months.

Following the completion of the 14-month operation, TET-1 will be handed over to DLR’s research and development department for deployment under the FIREBIRD constellation, along with the BIROS satellite currently under integration.

The Russian launcher has also carried into orbit Surrey Satellite Technology’s (SSTL) 100kg exactView-1 satellite, which is claimed to be the highest detection performance commercial automatic identification system (AIS) satellite ever built.

Based on the SSTL-100 spacecraft, exactView-1 satellite is the fifth deployed satellite in exactEarth’s advanced vessel monitoring satellite constellation, which will offer near real-time AIS data on the locations, speeds and routes of vessels through all worldwide oceans.

Launch of the five satellites was initially scheduled to take place in early 2012, but was delayed due to disputes between Kazakhstan and Russia over the drop zone of the rocket’s first stage.

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Image: The Soyuz launch vehicle carrying five satellites during its launch. Photo: courtesy of DLR.