MOSCOW (Rosatom PR) — The Russian Space Systems holding (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) has developed a project for a promising solar space power plant (SCES). It is designed to supply power to hard-to-reach – island, mountainous and northern – regions of the Earth, as well as for scheduled and emergency recharging of spacecraft.

How does a space solar station differ from those familiar to everyone on the ground? In the Earth’s atmosphere, the sun’s rays are scattered and partially lose their energy efficiency. In outer space, the efficiency of using solar energy is ten times higher. RCS scientists proposed to convert it into a laser beam and transmit it to Earth with minimal energy loss.

Translated from Russian by Google Translate

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — To control near-earth space and observe artificial objects in near-earth orbit, specialists of Russian Space Systems (RKS, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) propose to use the latest photonic technologies and original methods of ground processing of optical information. The corresponding system for monitoring “space debris” was developed and patented by the RKS to solve one of the most urgent tasks today – cleaning the orbit from exhausted artificial Earth satellites, various space objects and their fragments.

ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (Roscosmos PR) — TERRA TECH, a subsidiary of the Russian Space Systems Holding (RKS, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation), and Yaroslavl State University named after P.G. Demidov at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum agreed to unite efforts to develop and market high-tech software solutions based on space imagery data using artificial intelligence technologies.

The signing of the agreement is intended to strengthen the competences of the parties and create new groundwork in the development of modern geoinformation solutions using deep machine learning and neural networks. Cloud geoservices are in demand on the market today, providing information and analytical products based on Earth remote sensing data from space to both government agencies and commercial consumers, including individuals. Consumer requirements for the delivery time of space data and ready-made analytics necessitate the connection of artificial intelligence technologies for automation, increasing the speed and volume of generated information.

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — Roscosmos Supervisory Board approved the program of strategic transformations of space instrument-making enterprises and decided to form space instrument-making holding based on the Russian Space Systems company (RSS, part of Roscosmos). Being at the national economy level these decisions determine the future image of one of the most important components the Russian rocket and space industry and are aimed at maintaining and progressive development of the scientific, technological, production and innovative potential of space instrument-making enterprises.

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — The Russian Space Systems Holding (RKS, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) is developing a self-regulating technology for controlling multi-satellite orbital constellations with elements of artificial intelligence and minimal human participation. It will allow in the future to automate the control of satellite constellations of thousands of spacecraft.

A feature of the new technology will be the transition from the point control of individual spacecraft used today to the control of the systemic effect of the entire orbital constellation. In their development, DCS specialists propose to use the methods of coordinated self-organization – or homeostasis, which will effectively manage the orbital structure, its number, system resources, data transmission network and orbital computing network.

Tass reports that Russia and China plan to sign a cooperative agreement in the fall outlining increased cooperation across a range of space areas. Russia and China are also working to deepen cooperation with the BRICS nations, which include Brazil, India and South Africa. As Glavkosmos explained, cooperation with Chinese partners envisages the following areas: the exploration of the Moon and outer space, space vehicles and ground infrastructure, hardware components […]

MOSCOW (RSC Energia PR) — On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, JSC RSC Energia, JSC Russian Space Systems (RSS), included into State Corporation ROSCOSMOS, and Airbus DS, the largest European aerospace corporation, agreed on expanding their cooperation in development of state-of-the-art commercial satellites, as well as in manufacturing and delivery of reliable space equipment in the interests of Russian civilian space programs.

(more…)

By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor

Pity the poor Russian space agency, Roscosmos.  After more than a year of launch accidents, harsh criticism from the nation’s rulers, a change in leadership at the top, and the appointment of a high-level czar to clean up the mess at the failure-prone space agency, word leaked out recently of a long-range plan for the nation’s space effort that would land cosmonauts on the moon and accomplish many other cool space activities.

This would normally be a positive sign that officials could point to as evidence of a space agency turning itself around. Unfortunately, the leak occurred amid a series of very public disputes and embarrassments that have overshadowed everything else. The problems have included a dismal response to a cosmonaut recruitment effort, an alleged brawl between two of Russia’s top space officials over a smoking hot model/business escort turned personal press secretary who seems ill suited for her job, a call for Roscosmos’ leader to step down, and a demand by the deputy prime minister for everyone to shut the frak up.

(more…)