MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. Russia’s Roscosmos state space corporation has launched the operation of its Kanopus-V satellite system to monitor natural and man-made disasters, Roscosmos announced on its website on Tuesday.

"The Kanopus-V space system has been accepted for service. The corresponding decision was made by the Roscosmos state space corporation on September 26, 2019," the space agency said in a statement.

The Scientific Center of the Earth’s Operational Monitoring of the Russian Space Systems Company has been selected as the operator of the Kanopus-V satellite system, the statement reads.

The grouping of Kanopus-V satellites helps promptly address the tasks of continuously monitoring man-made and natural disasters and promptly detecting forest fires and large discharges of pollutants. In addition, the system’s satellites monitor natural hydrometeorological phenomena and agricultural activity.

The Kanopus-V satellite system helps Russia renew topographic maps. The Kanopus-V satellites are making surveys of the territory of Russia with a periodicity of once or twice every twenty-four hours.

Kanopus-V satellite grouping

Russia started deploying its new satellite grouping with the launch of the first Kanopus-V space vehicle on July 22, 2012. The satellite was intended to operate for five years but has been up and running for the seventh year by now.

Russia continued deploying its new satellite grouping in July 2017 with the launch of a Kanopus-V-IK. On February 1, 2018, Kanopus-V No. 3 and No. 4 satellites joined the orbital grouping. On December 27, 2018, Kanopus-V No. 5 and No. 6 Earth sensing satellites entered their designated orbit and transmitted their first images.

Kanopus-V satellites weighing 465 kg are delivered into the sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 510 km. The satellites have an active service life of five years.