The Russian Kondor-FKA radar satellite No. 2 has been delivered to the Vostochny Cosmodrome ahead of its launch. Experts will soon send it to the spacecraft assembly and test building. As expected, the second “Kondor-FKA” will enter space at the end of November. Like the first spacecraft, it will be engaged in mapping the Earth’s surface, environmental monitoring, and exploration of natural resources.
The 1050-kilogram Kondor-FKA No. 2 was delivered to Vostochny by air and road transport on Saturday, September 14. The container with the satellite was received by the employees of the Vostochny Space Center of TsENKI. It was unloaded in the heated vestibule of the block warehouse. After that, the satellite is to be sent to the spacecraft assembly and test building, where it will be prepared for launch.
According to preliminary information, the launch of the second Condor-FKA is scheduled for late November. It is to be put into orbit by a Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with a Fregat upper stage. “Kondor-FKA” No. 2 was developed at RDA for machine manufacturing. Its main purpose is to collect radar information to provide continuous sensing of the Earth’s continents and the World Ocean.
After launch, Kondor-FKA No. 2 will join the single-satellite constellation of the same name, which consists of one satellite. This is the first Condor-FKA, which was launched on May 27, 2023, and put into operation in early July. Alexander Leonov, general director and general designer of RDA of machine manufacturing, announced the successful completion of its flight tests.
The satellite captures the surface of our planet in several modes – frame, strip, detail, and overview. Its application capabilities are extensive: the satellite allows for tracking natural disasters, monitoring agricultural land, and identifying places where water bodies are polluted with oil products.
