The new satellites to provide continuous monitoring of Arctic waters and communication in the Arctic

The Arctic-M satellite constellation will be formed over the Arctic, capable of making up to two million accurate images per year. This will allow for detailed monitoring of the hydrometeorological situation in the macroregion, said Nikolai Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, senior official in the Arctic Council during the "Arctic Salon" in St. Petersburg.
The deployment of a group of hydrometeorological satellites began in February 2021 – then the first spacecraft of this series was launched into a highly elliptical orbit. The launch of the second satellite "Arctic-M" is scheduled for 2023, the third – for 2025.
According to Nikolai Korchunov, when there are four such satellites, Russia will have the opportunity to monitor the Arctic in good resolution almost continuously, that is, every 15 minutes.
The creation of new orbital systems will bring the development of the Russian Arctic to a qualitatively different level. Hydrometeorology and communications are important factors of navigation safety in polar waters. The emergence of a new generation of domestic satellite groupings will support the steady growth of navigation along the Northern Sea Route, giving an additional impetus to the development of high latitudes, porarctic.ru notes.

Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished