OREANDA-NEWS. September 23, 2008. The Belarusian space satellite is set to be launched in 2009, Chairman of the Presidium of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Mikhail Myasnikovich said at a session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers on September 23. The session presided by First Vice Premier Vladimir Semashko highlighted the 2008-2012 draft national programme on space research and use for peaceful purposes.

Mikhail Myasnikovich stated that the space satellite will be launched in Q4 2009. At present all the works are held in line with the schedule. The new satellite is not an analogue to the previous one. It possesses “much better characteristics”, he said.

The creation of a space satellite for the land remote sensing is of high necessity for Belarus for the present and long-range purposes. It will be purely Belarusian prerogative, the Chairman of the NAS Presidium said.

The satellite has been developed together with the use of up-to-date space technologies. According to Mikhail Myasnikovich, the Belarusian scientists also used “the previous experience gained during the work with the first Belarusian space satellite”.

Today, the Belarusian specialists are working “with the similar satellite in the Russian Federation”. They are going to conduct a cluster launching. Thus, according to the Head of the Belarusian NAS, “a space group will be working in orbit simultaneously that will improve the commercial constituent as well as the reliable performance”. Mikhail Myasnikovich added that the programme envisages the introduction of up-to-date technologies in the area of digital broadcasting and tele-health.

The chairman of the NAS Presidium stated that Belarus needs to receive its independent information from the space. The creation of a space satellite will allow Belarus to develop navigation systems including the GPS system.

Mikhail Myasnikovich also informed on the need to develop necessary space infrastructure including centers on receiving and processing the information.

In the future Belarus plans to take part in the development of a Russian group of satellites.