Russia delays Zond-M solar monitoring spacecraft project - RAS Space Research Institute

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - The development of equipment for the Zond-M solar activity monitoring spacecraft as part of the Ionozond project has been suspended due to budget cuts, Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences Space Research Institute Anatoly Petrukovich told Interfax.

"The work has been suspended for now, at least, in our field, the payload, due to budget cuts," Petrukovich said.

The Zond-M solar monitoring spacecraft will help assess the condition of circumterrestrial space, he said.

"The entire space weather that is condition of circumterrestrial space, depends on solar activity. About 90% of solar activity data we need for making a forecast comes from foreign sources," Petrukovich said.

The institute has made equipment for the next Ionosfera-M satellites, which are also part of the Ionozond project, he said. "The second launch under the project will be conducted in the middle of 2025, and final operations are in progress," he said.

The first two Ionosfera-M satellites were launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on November 5.

The Ionozond helio-geo-physical monitoring system is being developed to the benefit of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring for studying space weather.

Roscosmos said earlier that the Ionozond system would include four Ionosfera-M satellites. The next two satellites are due to be launched in 2025.