Our Projects

Technology and Design Development of Solar Arrays of Amorphous Silicon Based on Thin Polymer Film Deployed by Centrifugal Forces for Communications and Earth Observation Satellites

This project is related to Technology Development category. As a result of the project work, the space application a-Si alloy solar arrays of a new generation, based on the frameless thin film structures deployed by centrifugal force will be developed. These solar arrays would offer a number of considerable advantages over their analogs, including:
- High reliability of autonomous operation with the service life of 15-20 years;
- Predicted deterioration at the end of life;
- Cost and mass reduction by several times due to a lack of frame and owing to the decrease of the amorphous silicon structure cost;
- More then 10-time increase in specific power against the most efficient analog (up to 1000 W/kg);
- Good stowage pattern for the transport configuration for delivery to orbit, possible stowage in small volume and automatic deployment in orbit with low power consumption;
- Simple design, possible fast manufacturing, and reliable in-orbit verification.
These advantages provide the opportunities for following applications of the results:
- Cost efficient and highly reliable power supply systems for Communications and Earth Observation satellites, as well as for Interplanetary space missions;
- Prospective space-based power plants.

Project Manager: Prof. Vitaly M. Melnikov.
Participating Institutions:
-- Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Research and Production Association for Measuring Technology", Korolev, Moscow Region, Russia.
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- Federal State Unitary Enterprise "POLYOT Design Bureau", Omsk, Russia.
Foreign Collaborator: United Solar Systems Corp., Troy, Michigan, USA.
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GEOSCAN NETWORK
Wireless Broadband Communications System Based on M-55 Stratospheric Aircraft

GEOSCAN NETWORK (GN) is the creation of wireless communications infrastructure through a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS). The core technology of GN is the Russian made M-55 stratospheric aircraft. Whether treated as a low altitude geostationary satellite or a tall mast, the M-55 holding a fixed base station and flying in a circular corridor at an altitude of 20 km creates a cone of high-speed wireless link over a service area between 200 and 500 km in diameter. M-55 is a piloted plane, capable of carrying up to 2000 kg of essential communications payload and power supply up to 40 kW. The network is provided at all times by a relay service operated by 5 aircrafts, each flight time lasting about 5 hours. Through the use of onboard smart antenna system, advanced propagation techniques and exploitation of the best aspects of satellite communications technology, GN is intended to make communication ubiquitous, instantaneous and unlimited in capacity. It can be described as the third form of wireless communications infrastructure after terrestrial and satellite networks to meet the communication needs of the 21st Century. GN is a multi-functional infrastructure that enables delivery of a wide range of multi-media services to fixed and mobile terminals. These services include voice, text, video, high speed Internet access, eEducation, eHealth, eBusiness, eGovernment, Electronic News Gathering, real-time information from financial markets and live transmission from sporting arenas and concerts.

Project Managers: Mr. Hemant R. Patel and Dr. Vitaly M. Chmyrev
Participating Institutions:
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- Geoscan (UK) Plc, London, UK.
-- Federal State Unitary Enterprise "MYASISHCHEV Design Bureau", Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia.
-- Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Research & Production Enterprise POLYOT", Nizhni Novgorod, Russia.
-- The University of Bath, Bath, UK.
-- The University of York, York, UK.
Supporting organizations: Rolls Royce, Motorola, BAe, QinetiQ and SEA.
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M-55 LAUNCHER
Airborne Micro-Satellite Launch Complex Based on M-55 Stratospheric Aircraft

Mobile Airborne Micro-Satellite Launch Complex, developed within the framework of M-55 LAUNCHER project, provides precise injection of micro satellites, up to 150 kg weight, into near Earth orbit from any country having standard airport runway facilities for normal take-off and landing. It provides an efficient and cost effective launching system that has the potential to satisfy growing demand for micro satellite launch services especially in less-developed counties.

Project Manager: Dr. Aleksandre A. Bruck
Participating Institutions:
-- MYASISHCHEV Design Bureau, Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia.
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- ARSENAL Design Bureau, St.-Petersburg, Russia.
-- Geoscan (UK) Plc, London, UK.
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Airborne Systems for Electromagnetic Sounding of the Earth

Airborne Geophysical Radar (AGR) system is intended for prospecting mineral resources and monitoring of the environment. The system is based on integration of electromagnetic sounding technologies developed by GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes and POLYOT Research and Production Enterprise with aerospace technology, designed and developed by MYASISHCHEV Design Bureau. It involves attachment of magnetic loop antennas and towed birds on the airframes of M-101T "Gzhel" and M-55 "Geophysics" planes and 2DP Dirigible. The system is deployed by GEOSCAN in accordance with geological survey and studies and customer requirements. Geoscan (UK) Plc is responsible for International sales and marketing of the service.

Project Manager: Prof. Oleg A. Molchanov.
Participating Institutions:
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- Research and Production Enterprise POLYOT, Nizhni Novgorod, Russia.
-- MYASISHCHEV Design Bureau, Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia.
-- Geoscan (UK) Plc, London, UK.
-- Chongqing Logistical Engineering University, Chongqing, P. R. China.
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Electromagnetic and Plasma Response of the Ionosphere to the Formation Processes of Hurricanes

This project concerns the experimental study of electromagnetic and plasma effects in the ionosphere induced by strong atmospheric perturbations and the development of a generation theory of hurricanes and models of the atmosphere-ionosphere interaction. As the result of this study we plan to develop relevant physical models of hurricanes and related ionospheric disturbances. It is expected that the obtained results should clarify:
- The ionospheric signatures of hurricanes and the potential of these signatures for improvement of short-term forecasting and timely detection of this potentially disastrous atmospheric phenomenon;
- The vertical profile structure in the tropical atmosphere of thermodynamic parameters such as pressure, density, temperature and humidity and their relevance to satellite observations;
- The dependence of sound velocity in saturated moist atmosphere on altitude;
- The value of growth rates and characteristic scales of hurricane type structures and their dependence on the moist atmosphere basic states;
- The typical scales of nonlinear vortex structures in the moist atmosphere and the relation of these structures to the observed atmosphere depressions;
- The dependence of the growth rate generation of the zonal flows by the Rossby type waves on baroclinity and humidity of the atmosphere.
An application of the results lies in the sphere of creating the new methods for short-term forecasting and timely detection of hurricanes.

Project Manager: Dr. Vitaly M. Chmyrev.
Participating Institutions:
-- Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
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Complex Ground Based Geophysical Observations Coordinated With Satellite DEMETER Investigations

This project is aimed at the investigation of short-term transient processes in the global lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupled system using the simultaneous satellite and ground-based observations. The geophysical processes in lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere medium, which are connected with seismic activity and volcano eruptions will be investigated above all. The proposed research will be based on the data obtained from French satellite DEMETER and two ground-based Russian geophysical observatories Karimshino (Kamchatka) and Lekhta (Karelia). The work plan of the project foresees data processing and extensive theoretical modeling to reveal the signatures of large magnitude earthquakes and volcano eruptions and estimate the application potential of these signatures for the short-term forecasting purposes.

Project Manager: Prof. Oleg A. Molchanov.
Participating Institutions:
-- Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- Institute of the Geophysical Survey, Russian Academy of Sciences, Obninsk, Kaluzhskaya Region, Russia.
-- Laboratoire de Physique et Chime de l'Environnement, CNRS, Orleans, France.
-- Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, Toulouse, France.
-- University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
-- University of Electro-Communication, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan.
-- Earthquake Prediction Research Center, Institute of Oceanic Research and Development, Tokai University, Tokyo, Japan.
-- Maryland University, Maryland, USA.
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Theoretical Modeling of Large-scale Natural and Technological Disasters Effects on the Near Earth Environment

This project concerns investigation of the atmosphere and the ionosphere disturbances caused by earthquake, hurricane and volcano activities and some kinds of man-made catastrophes. It consists of three major parts including:
-- Study of DC electric field enhancement caused by electric current flowing from the atmosphere to the ionosphere over disaster area;
--Development of electrodynamic model of the atmosphere - ionosphere coupling;
--Theoretical modeling of electromagnetic and plasma phenomena excited by the shock waves of different origin in the ionosphere.

Project Manager: Dr. V.M. Sorokin
Participating Institutions:
-- Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagations (IZMIRAN) of Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitsk, Moscow region, Russia.
-- GEOSCAN International Agency on Complex Monitoring of the Earth, Natural Disasters and Technogenic Catastrophes, Moscow, Russia.
-- University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan.
-- Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
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