Arktika-M satellites will observe the Northern Sea Route online; their cameras will have a resolution of 1,000 to 4,000 meters, and they will measure temperatures with an accuracy of 0.1-0.2 degrees Celsius.

“The satellites’ equipment conducts simultaneous observations in ten spectral bands, including seven heat bands, and this will facilitate both day-time and night-time monitoring,” said Yury Gektin, Deputy Chief of the Section for Developing and Creating Multi-Zone Scanning Systems at Shareholding Company Russian Space Systems.

These satellites will eventually relay data every 15, 20 or 30 minutes, while conducting observations 24 hours a day.

“Every 15, 20 or 30 minutes, an Arktika-M spacecraft can measure temperatures in each section of the Arctic zone,” he added.

This will be made possible by the satellites’ highly elliptical orbit. The satellites will therefore collect meteorological and hydrological data about the state of the northern latitudes, and their scanning equipment will take nonstop multi-scale images. All parameters will be relayed to the mission control center, enabling it to create atmospheric models for more accurate weather forecasts, to be used by aircraft and ship crews.

Monitoring sea-ice formations will become another important task of the satellite cluster.

“By taking so many images, it will become possible to watch the movement of ice-floes and to locate large and wide cracks,” the designer noted and added that this would help organize navigation along the Northern Sea Route.