Russia’s New Generation of Small Satellites Will Be Lighter and Cheaper Than Foreign Counterparts

Scientists at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) are developing a new generation of small radar satellites that will play a key role in advancing Russia’s domestic satellite communications and monitoring networks—particularly along the Northern Sea Route and within Siberia’s gas transport infrastructure. The first satellites are scheduled to launch in 2028.

The “Zvezda” satellite, weighing just 150–200 kilograms (330–440 pounds), surpasses its counterparts in both size and power efficiency. Deploying a constellation of six such units will cost roughly the same as a single large satellite, significantly improving cost efficiency.

One platform – multiple functioning

Another advantage of the design is its modularity: a unified platform can host a variety of mission payloads—radar systems, optical sensors, and, most importantly, satellite communications equipment. This opens up new opportunities for testing and implementing advanced communications technologies essential to large-scale national initiatives such as the Russian Orbital Station.

In the long term, the project aims to develop a universal “constructor satellite” that will simplify not only satellite communications but also space research as a whole.