Reaching orbit

Next March, Belarus will become a full member of the ‘space club’ — as countries with satellites in orbit and terrestrial centres processing the data call themselves (a third of all states are members). Our centre was established some years ago as part of the Kosmos BR scientific and technical programme (a joint project by the Union of Russia and Belarus). On the opening day of the Second Space Congress, in Minsk, a new high-capacity nine-meter satellite aerial was placed on the roof of the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences.

Sergey Ablameiko, General Director of the Institute, explained that the first Belarusian satellite, BeLKA, will be launched on a Russian rocket by next March at the latest. This space technology will then be used by meteorologists, emergency services, oil industry and geologists; snapshots of the Earth (accurate within 2.5 meters) will be relayed to the centre. In addition, it will be beneficial commercially.

Representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan attended the congress and over 80 reports were considered during the 3 days of the forum. “Belarus is becoming a space state and has its own national long-term space exploration program,” says Sergei Zhdanok — Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physical-Engineering Sciences of National Academy of Sciences.