Belarus, Russia to create small spacecraft, two nanosatellites under Union State program

MINSK. April 20 (Interfax) - Belarus and Russia will create a small spacecraft and two nanosatellites by 2025 under a Union State program called Complex-SG, its Belarusian Executive Director Sergei Korenyako said on Thursday.

"Around two billion Russian rubles have been allocated to implement the Union's Complex-SG program. The plan is to create a small spacecraft and two nanosatellites by 2026," he told the SB. Belarus Today state news outlet.

One of the satellites will carry research equipment to study the ionosphere and solar phenomena, he said. "Essentially, we will have our own mini solar lab in space, which is important for ensuring reliable communication and monitoring the environment," Korenyako said.

"In terms of imaging quality, small satellites are not inferior to heavy and expensive ones, which are becoming cost-inefficient to use. They are also cheaper and more mobile, [and] dozens of them can be launched. The requisite component base has been created. All we have left to do is train the systems to work in a team, which is what we will be doing over the next five years," Korenyako said, adding that the devices will be launched into space in 2027.

An all-purpose platform will be developed later to produce the new spacecraft in large numbers, he said.