OREANDA-NEWS. March 09, 2010. ROSCOSMOS is planning to launch about twenty micro satellites based on the “Karat” platform to perform specialized scientific tasks.

Their launch is planned accordingly to Federal Space Programme on launcher's secondary payloads. “Russian Academy of Sciences already has prepared a payload for first five of them” - told ROSCOSMOS deputy chief Anatoly Shilov. Unified “Karat” microplatform is being developed in Lavochkin Scientific Production Association. It can be used to create micro satellites with various functions – astrophysical, remote sensing, scientific. One of the main advantages of such spacecrafts is their low-cost price of production and launch.

Therefore, it's a low-cost solution to create reliable and durable telecommunication, remote sensing and scientific constellations.