Russia to Release 1st Monitor Climate Satellite in 2021

Russia announced today that its Arktika-M, the 1st satellite to monitor the Arctic climate and environment, will be launched in February 2021. According to a spokesperson for the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, the launch of Arktika-M had been delayed until 2021 over the need for additional checks.

In addition, last year, the launch of the 2nd Russian satellite Arktika-M, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed until 2023, according to Russian space corporation Roscosmos.

Moreover, the Arktika-M satellites are designed to monitor the climate, environment and weather in the Arctic region. The launch of the second "Arctic-M" is planned for 2023, and three more satellites - in 2024-2025.

Later, China launched on September two environmental monitoring satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. A long March-4B rocket carrying the HJ-2A and HJ-2B satellites took off at 11:23 a.m. (Beijing Time), according to the launch center.

The satellites can provide 16-meter multispectral, 48-meter hyperspectral and infrared image data. In addition, services concerning environmental protection, natural resources, water conservancy, agriculture and forestry, according to the satellite developer China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

Noteworthy, the HJ-1A and HJ-1B were launched in 2008 and provided remote sensing data for disaster relief during the 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, the 2010 earthquake in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province and the 2010 mudslide in Zhouqu County, Gansu Province, according to News reports.