Rosatom works towards accepting data from Chinese satellites to support NSR navigation — media
The plans of Roscosmos on launching of new satellites are postponed
State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM is looking into establishment of a ground-based infrastructure to receive data from Chinese satellites that can support navigation on the Northern Sea Route. To develop year-round shipping on the Northern Sea Route it is necessary to increase the number of sources providing information contributing to the accuracy of ice condition forecasts. First of all, it is about the eastern direction of the route, Maksim Kulinko, Deputy Director of Rosatom’s NSR Directorate, told RIA Novosti.
“In the current geopolitical situation, the number of information sources allowing for making decisions on passage of ships along certain routes has decreased considerably and continues to decrease. I mean the restrictions on obtaining data from the foreign satellites and the absence of a domestic satellite constellation for a radar remote sensing of the Earth,” said Maksim Kulinko.
“From the point of view of building a digital ecosystem of NSR", Rosatom is technically synchronized with Roscosmos and it is ready for an integration in terms of reception and processing of satellite information. “Given that the plans of Roscosmos on launching of new satellites are postponed due to objective reasons, the question is which satellite constellation can be used for obtaining of information right now. We are looking closely at cooperation with our Chinese colleagues — they have spacecraft operating above the Northern Sea Route. We are looking into establishment of an appropriate ground-based infrastructure to receive data from the Chinese satellites,” explained Maksim Kulinko.
The Northern Sea Route is a single transport system in the Russian Arctic sector. It stretches along the northern coasts of Russia across the seas of the Arctic Ocean (Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, Chukchi seas). The route links the European ports of Russia with the mouths of navigable rivers in Siberia and the Far East. In August 2022, a plan for the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) until 2035 was approved. The plan includes over 150 activities with total financing nearing RUB 1.8 trillion.
According to the plan, the annual cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route is to reach 80 million by 2024, 150 million tonnes by 2030, 220 million tonnes – by 2035.
State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM has been a single infrastructure operator of the Northern Sea Route from 2018. It is in charge of organizing shipping, construction of infrastructure facilities, ensuring navigation and hydrographic support and safety in challenging Arctic conditions. The authority of Rosatom’s NSR Directorate covers Atomflot, Hydrographic Company and Glavsevmorput.
