"Marathon" refers to unpressurized microclass satellites. Its mass is less than 100 kg. To form a full-scale orbital constellation, group launches of 44 vehicles by one launch vehicle are provided.
What will the full-scale orbital constellation "Marathon IoT" look like? It will allow providing data transmission services throughout the Earth. The satellites will operate in a low circular orbit at an altitude of 750 km, where they will be distributed in 12 planes with a circumpolar inclination.
In addition, in the outgoing year, tests of four experimental optoelectronic satellites "Gryphon" were completed. Their launch is also scheduled for next year. And starting from 2026, it is planned to deploy an orbital constellation of serial satellites "Sphere-Griffin" with bringing them to the standard composition: 132 spacecraft. They will allow you to receive data every 30 hours from the territory of Russia and at least 38 hours around the world. They will analyze data to identify changes in natural phenomena and man-made processes, regulate traffic flows and monitor mining.
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Sphere is one of the key projects of Roscosmos, aimed at developing space information technologies and eliminating the so-called "digital divide": providing Internet access via satellites where it is impossible to lay fiber optics. For example, in high latitudes, taiga, tundra and permafrost zones.
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A state-of-the-art communications and monitoring system is being created, including both existing and future space infrastructure. The project includes orbital constellations of communications and remote sensing spacecraft.
According to Roscosmos, in order to carry out priority work on the Sphere project in 2021, 7 billion rubles of subsidies were allocated from the federal budget to Roscosmos organizations: the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering - to carry out research work "Laser", "Digital", "Typoryad", to the company "ISSFETNEV" - for work on the "Skif" and "Marathon" systems. The results achieved, according to experts, are not just positive but fundamental.
So, in the direction of "Typoryad" in 2024, a scalable scalable unified space platform of the same name was developed. On its basis, small satellites for various purposes will be created in a short time. The resulting experimental sample and its components will be used in ground testing of two experimental optoelectronic remote sensing satellites "Berkut-VR" and one experimental radar remote sensing satellite "Berkut-RSA" being created at NPO Lavochkin (part of Roscosmos). Their launches are planned for 2026-2027.
In the future, an increase in groupings is expected: Berkut-VR - up to 30 spacecraft, Berkut-RSA - up to 24.
In the direction of "Digital", the key elements of an experimental sample of a flexible digital payload have been created. And in the direction of "Laser", in order to increase the speed of information transmission, experimental samples of ground and onboard terminals of high-speed space laser communication have been developed, manufactured and successfully tested. In the future, it is planned to conduct flight experimental studies of the onboard terminals as part of Berkut-BP.
Within the framework of the Sphere project, by 2027 it is planned to deploy conveyor production of Marathon data transmission satellites at ISS-Reshetnev and Berkut optoelectronic and radar satellites at NPO Lavochkin.
In May 2024, a contract was signed for the creation of four Skif broadband Internet access spacecraft. Together with the two previously ordered, it is planned to launch them into orbit in 2027-2028. In the future, this constellation will increase to 12 satellites.
The creation of highly elliptical communication satellites "Express-RV" continues: in 2026, an orbital constellation of 4 spacecraft should be formed. In the same year, the launch of the telecommunications Express-AMU4 and Yamal-501, as well as two experimental optoelectronic remote sensing satellites Pixel-VR is expected.
In addition, work has begun on the creation of a demonstration optoelectronic remote sensing spacecraft "Berkut-VD" with an ultra-high linear resolution of 0.5 meters. For the Sphere project, two promising Yamal telecommunications satellites and nine Smotr optoelectronic and radar satellites will be created.
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