Sitronics Group to increase satellite grouping for ship identification from 10 to 82 spacecraft

The Sitronics Group Company (AFK Sistema) plans to increase the satellite grouping for automatic identification of vessels (AIS, AIS) to 82 spacecraft. As the correspondent of PortNews reports, Pavel Dreiger, Vice President for Software Products and Solutions of Sitronics Group, told about this at the conference “The Northern Sea Route as the basis of economic sovereignty and a factor of the new world logistics: realizing the potential of the highway” at the Neva 2023 exhibition.

According to him, at the moment the company has launched into orbit more than 10 satellites that transmit data and monitor shipping around the world, including on the Northern Sea Route (NSR). He noted that the satellites of Western colleagues, in particular American ones, fly in more equatorial orbits, where the main shipping is concentrated.

“Despite our modest grouping so far, we have more up—to-date data on northern latitudes than our American colleagues,” Pavel Dreiger explained. — Our immediate plans are to grow the grouping to 82 spacecraft. In this case, we will have a comparable grouping of satellites with Western companies.”

The company already has commercial customers of this service. For example, Rosrybolovstvo monitors about 2.5 thousand fishing vessels with the help of AIS: it controls catch areas, legality, etc.

Sitronics Group is also working on a radar satellite: “Everyone understands that the NSR is, first of all, information about the ice situation. Radar satellites in our country are not very healthy yet. First of all, this is due to the lack of a proper payload. We are currently conducting an avantproject. But in order not to stand still, we are now cooperating with an Indian company that has its own radar satellite, and we provide services based on this data.”

Pavel Dreiger recalled that Western radar satellite groups have restricted Russia in providing such information.

“We will achieve full independence only after we have formed our own Russian radar group in the right amount. It won’t be soon enough. This is a 4-5—year perspective,” the expert concluded.

Original article:Sitronics Group увеличит спутниковую группировку для идентификации судов с 10 до 82 космических аппаратов (portnews.ru)