Belarus, Russia team up to sell BKA, Canopus-B pictures

Russia’s VNIIEM Corporation (Research and Production Corporation Space Monitoring Systems, Information and Control and Electromechanical Complexes) and the Geoinformation Systems of the National Academy of Sciences signed a memorandum to set up a joint company for the commercial use of a part of the information resources of the unified orbital group consisting of the Russian satellite Canopus-B and the Belarusian satellite BKA, BelTA learnt from Director of Geoinformation Systems Sergei Zolotoy, who is taking part at the 50th international air show in Le Bourget today.

The memorandum was signed in Le Bourget on 18 June. “A joint venture will let use the Russian experience in distribution of the BKA materials on the Russian and foreign markets of space technology and services,” the scientist said.

Besides, the joint efforts will promote demand and sales of the earth remote sensing materials got by the Belarusian-Russian satellite constellation. With this, the Russian and Belarusian parties will take into account the prospects for developing and increasing the volumes of the materials as well as information services.

The Belarus-Russian integrated space system includes the Russian satellite Canopus-B and Belarusian satellite BKA. The satellites make pictures of the Earth's surface at the resolution of 2 meters, the capture range is 20 kilometers. In the future the existing satellite constellation will gain one Belarusian satellite and two Russian ones.

Belarus launched its own satellite on 22 July 2012. The satellite can cover the whole territory of Belarus. With the help of its own satellite Belarus can satisfy the domestic demand for space images and also sell them to other countries. The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation of Nepal has already purchased the space information for its own needs.