Ukrainian satellite flies into space: how long will it work and why the past broke down

Satellite Sich-2-30 is sent into space on January 13 at 17-25 Kiev time from Cape Kanareval in Florida.

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It will be launched with a rocket SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The separation of the satellite from the rocket and the entry into orbit should take place at 18:50 Kiev time. The broadcast can be viewed here.

The first images from the Sich-2-30 satellite should be sent to Earth via few hours after launch. What is known about the Ukrainian spacecraft?

What will do and how long will it work

The service life of the satellite, according to the State Space Agency of Ukraine, will be three years. Sich-2-30 is intended for obtaining digital photos of the Earth’s surface.

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He will be able to do them in the visible and near infrared range. In addition, the satellite is used to monitor the ionosphere.

“Sich-2-30” will shoot forests, fields, rivers, engineering structures, accumulations of equipment. For example, the device will see the Carpathian forests and find places illegal logging.

In addition, the satellite will study the processes river pollution and seas, will make cartographic measurements.

Characteristics of Sich-2-30 – from mass to storage

In fact, launched on January 13, Sich-2-30 is modification Sich-2, which, in turn, was a slightly modified version of EgyptSat-1. Ukraine launched Sich-2 back in 2011.

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The total mass of the Ukrainian satellite is about 210 kg at 40 kg payload.

The resolution will be approximately 6.1 m with a shooting swath width of approximately 36.5 km. The data drive will be able to collect 10 GB of information. The satellite was developed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau named after MK Yangel.

How plans for “Sich-2” were covered because of Russia

Although Sich-2-30 is a direct successor to Sich-2, there are differences between them.

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For instance, substandard components replaced with high-quality and finalized software. Now he will be able to work a little longer than the previous version.

In addition, there are more chances that the work will go according to plan – after all, last time the satellite was sent into orbit with a Dnepr-1 rocket using Russian companies.

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The launch itself took place in the Orenburg region of Russia in August 2011, and already in December 2012 the connection with Sich-2 was lost. As it turned out, the problem was battery Russian production.

“Sich-2-30”, in turn, was developed without Russian parts (some were supplied from Europe and South Korea), and they are launched on an American rocket directly from the United States.

Context.

• In February 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set the task of launching a satellite in 2021 in honor of the 30th anniversary of Independence.
• However, the State Space Agency called on politicians not to manipulate and not put pressure on them, and completed the project by the end of 2021. On December 8, 2021, the satellite was sent to the United States.
• Already in Florida, the Sich-2-30 was integrated with the American Falcon-9 rocket, having carried out all the necessary preparations for the flight. The launch was initially planned for January 10, but was postponed to 13.
• In addition, last year we managed to get into a top-secret laboratory and see a Ukrainian satellite, whose “twin” will soon go into orbit.