OREANDA-NEWS. Four years ago, on August 26, 2005, Monitor–E, the first Russian Earth remote sensing spacecraft made by Khrunichev Space Center, was put into orbit by Rockot launch vehicle from Plesetsk launch site, in Russia, reported the press-centre of Khrunichev Space Center.     

Monitor-E has been designed to provide data for  forestry, geological and agricultural mapping as well as ecological monitoring. The satellite also monitors emergency-related situations, such as natural or human-caused disasters.

The first images from the satellite were received on November 26, 2005  and the satellite has been operating and imaging Earth’s surface since that time.

Monitor E is the first Khrunichev-built EO satellite. Within the last few years, the company has gained a valuable experience in building and operating small satellites and collecting and processing remote sensing data. Its small spacecraft has performed thousands of tasks and delivered images  covering  millions of square meters of the Earth’s surface.

Khrunichev’s Ground Mission Control Segment and a receiving station of Moscow–based Research Center for Earth Operative Monitoring “NTs OMZ”, as well as  a universal receiving and processing center at Ugra Research Institute of Information Technologies (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District-Yugra, Russia) support the operation of Khrunichev’s space systems, satellite data acquisition and processing.