Small satellites constellation for monitoring of natural and man-made disasters

The possibility to create the new concept for usage of small satellites constellation arises today in connection with development of the circuit technology for manufacturing of real small space vehicles. Their low price allows the formation of a multi-purpose satellite constellation. Such a constellation is created in frames of the Russian Federal space program up to 2006. It is designed for monitoring of natural (typhoons, hurricanes, eruptions of volcanoes etc.) and man-made (radioactive contamination etc.) catastrophes. The space segment will be designed and manufactured by the Research Institute for Electromechanics of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise. The Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radiowave Propagation (IZMIRAN) will design the set of scientific devices and programs.