Russian cosmonauts praise Belarusian photospectral system

The Belarusian photospectral system that has been installed on the International Space Station (ISS) is excellent, Russian members of the ISS crew Pavel Vinogradov and Fyodor Yurchikhin said during a live satellite link-up with the Belarusian State University (BSU), BelTA has learnt.

The live satellite link-up with the Russian members of the ISS crew was held at the BSU at night on 4-5 June. Such link-up was held in Belarus for the first time. The event was attended by Rector of the Belarusian State University (BSU) Sergei Ablameiko, head of the physics and aerospace technologies department, research supervisor of the center for aerospace education of the BSU Vladimir Sayechnikov, head of the aerospace research department of the Sevchenko Research Institute of Applied Physical Problems of the BSU, State Prize laureate Boris Belyayev and students of the department for aerospace radio electronics and information systems and technologies of the BSU. The latter were the most active participants in the live satellite link-up asking the ISS astronauts many questions concerning their future profession. Partaking in the satellite link-up was the delegation of the Southwest State University in Kursk, Russia, headed by Rector Sergei Yemelyanov. The delegation is currently in Belarus on a visit. Sergei Samburov, President of the Konstantin Tsiolkovsky Fund, great grandson of this prominent scientist and member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics, was the member of this delegation, too.

Talking to the astronauts Sergei Ablameiko noted that the system of education is ready for new promising suggestions from scientists and companies, including those working on space programs. He added that four years ago the BSU opened a new program to train specialists in space research. Currently the demand is high for students who study at the department for aerospace radio electronics and information systems and technologies. The most significant research of the BSU scholars resulted in the photospectral system that has been designed in line with contracts with the Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energiya and the Geography Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In June 2010 it was taken aboard the Russian segment of the ISS to carry out the Uragan space experiment. The experiment includes the fine-tuning of the ground and space system of monitoring and forecasting of the development of natural and man-made disasters.

The live satellite link-up was organized in line with the program on the support of universities by means of technical equipment of the Southwest State University and the BSU center for aerospace education. During the visit of the Russian delegation to the BSU the sides are set to sign a bilateral agreement between the universities on the construction and launch of a joint educational nano-satellite from the International Space Station.