Russia just announced plans to launch a satellite cluster called Arktika to provide environmental monitoring and accurate weather forecasts for the arctic region. The project received approval from President Vladimir Putin, and is slated to launch in 2010 at a cost of $1.23 Billion.
This satellite constellation fills a void that is felt by Russia and other northern countries, with most weather forecasts coming from geostationary satellites that can’t adequately scan far north. The series of five satellites are to include two Arktika-M satellites with optical monitoring systems, an Arktika-R satellite with radar, and two Arktika-MS telecommunications satellites that will handle telecommunications.
The official release touted the ability to scan the oil-and-gas shelf, while helping develop new deposits of natural resources in remote northern regions of Russia. While these instruments will provide weather and environmental monitoring, it’s clear that the justification of this expenditure is centered on natural resource extraction.
