Belarus, Russia partner up to launch ultra-high resolution Earth satellite

Belarus and Russia plan to jointly launch an ultra-high-resolution Earth observation satellite scheduled for launch in November 2028.

Vladimir Karanik, the Head of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, spoke about the project at the first Russian Space Forum that was held in Moscow this week, Russian media reported this week.

Karanik described the mission as a highly ambitious undertaking that had initially faced skepticism. “Now there are no doubts. The work is proceeding strictly according to schedule. It is planned that in November 2028 this satellite will be launched into orbit. We are confident that we will succeed,” he said.

The project builds on a 2020 agreement between Russia's space agency, Roscosmos and Belarus’ national academy to expand their joint orbital constellation. The new satellite is designed for high-resolution optical and electronic Earth observation, significantly enhancing monitoring capabilities.

Cooperation between the two countries in the space sector intensified further following high-level talks in April 2022 at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. During that meeting, the presidents of Russia and Belarus agreed to deepen collaboration, including the development of a joint satellite constellation focused on high-detail observation.

The agreements also extended beyond satellite development. Belarusian companies were granted access to participate in construction projects at the Vostochny launch site in Russia's Amur region in the far east of the country, while plans were confirmed to send a Belarusian astronaut to the International Space Station as part of a Russian crew.

The media article emphasizes, that the upcoming satellite launch is expected to mark a significant milestone in bilateral space cooperation, strengthening both countries’ capabilities in Earth observation and expanding their presence in orbit.

By Nazrin Sadigova