On April 13, on the margins of the III Sphere Congress organized by Roscosmos State Corporation, a cooperation agreement between Samara National Research University and SPUTNIX (Satellite Innovation Space Systems) was signed at the Expocentre in Moscow. It is part of AFK Sistema and specializes in the development of CubeSat microsatellite platforms, their attitude control and stabilization systems and ground test benches, as well as hardware and software for communication with satellites.
As part of the agreement, there are plans to join forces for scientific research in the space field. In particular, SPUTNIX is ready to provide the facilities for the development of a training package based on a hyperspectral camera of high spatial resolution and a CubeSat-type spacecraft for Earth remote sensing tasks.
“The agreement will allow us to expand our interaction with SPUTNIX. In particular, the University plans to purchase off-the-shelf CubeSat satellite platforms to carry the hyperspectral equipment developed by our scientists for testing in space. Such a decision will not only speed up the process of fine-tuning and improving our hyperspectrometers, but also expand the University’s orbital constellation,” explained Vladimir Bogatyrev, Rector of Samara University.
The University engages its own research teams and creates conditions for the training of highly qualified personnel, including the use of information from the University’s extended satellite constellation in the educational process, as well as the participation of students in scientific research.
“The agreement takes our long-standing cooperation with Samara University to a new level. We have already made two spacecraft together, a third is coming soon, and we have a good idea of the trajectory for further joint movement.
It is very important for us to make use of the scientific, technological and human potential of Samara University. The ideas that come out of it are unique. They are interesting to implement, have practical and economic value,” stressed Vladislav Ivanenko, general director of Sputnix LLC.