ST. PETERSBURG, October 10. /TASS/. Russia plans to accept the first Kanopus-VO next-generation satellite for service in 2024-2025 to monitor man-made and natural disasters, Deputy Director of the Glonass Navigation Space Systems Department of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos Valery Zaichko said on Thursday.

"Based on the existing Kanopus-V system of monitoring emergencies, we have started implementing the Kanopus-VO next-generation system that will provide for the wide-coverage and infrared surveying of the territory of Russia. The first satellite out of a series of no less than six space vehicles of the new system is scheduled to be accepted for service in 2024-2025," Zaichko said.

Russia will use this satellite grouping to continuously monitor man-made and natural disasters, promptly detect forest fires and large discharges of pollutants.

Kanopus-VO next-generation satellites will have their coverage potential expanded from 20 km to 100 km. Infrared equipment mounted on these satellites will help promptly find fires at an early stage.

In October, Roscosmos accepted the sixth and the last Kanopus-V satellite for operation to monitor man-made and natural disasters. The Scientific Center for the Earth’s Operational Monitoring of Russian Space Systems Company was selected as the operator of the Kanopus-V satellite system.

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 it has been functioning successfully already for the seventh year running.

Russia continued deploying its new satellite grouping in July 2017 with the launch of a Kanopus-V-IK. In 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.

The 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.