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The Arctic satellite Arktika-M was launched into space with a Soyuz rocket
Photo: ROSCOSMOS PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT / EPA
Russia has launched its first satellite to monitor the climate in the Arctic.
As announced by the Russian space agency Roskosmos, a Soyuz rocket launched the Arktika-M satellite from the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan onto its orbit on Sunday.
Roskosmos boss Dmitri Rogozin said on Twitter that after the launch, communication with the satellite had been established as planned.
Russia intends to use the satellite to collect weather data on land and sea areas in the Arctic.
In the correct orbit, Arktika-M can take photos every 15 to 30 minutes of areas that are not permanently covered by other satellites.
According to Roskosmos, this requires at least two satellites.
The second Arktika-M satellite is due to be launched in 2023, as reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
"In particular, states that see themselves as space powers want to use their own satellites and data to plan economic or military activities."
Mia Bennett, a geographer at Hong Kong University
The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average in the past three decades.
Climate change is increasing ice melting, which in turn makes fossil fuel extraction easier in the area.
Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin is interested in economic use.
Other countries such as the USA and Norway are also making claims on the huge oil and gas reserves at the North Pole.
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Mia Bennett, geographer at the University of Hong Kong, said it is imperative to improve weather and ice forecasts as the Arctic is changing rapidly.
But she also speaks of a "data nationalism" that drives such projects: "In particular, states that see themselves as space powers want to use their own satellites and data to plan economic or military activities," she told the news agency Reuters.
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fla / dpa / Reuters