BKA (BelKa 2) [NPO VNIIEM]
BKA (formerly known as BelKa 2) is a Belarusian remote sensing satellite that replaces the BelKa 1 satellite lost in an launch failure.
The BKA satellite is a virtual copy of the Russian Kanopus-V 1. The resolution up to 2.1 m and four spectral channels of the target-oriented equipment allow for national economic tasks to the benefit of MINECONOMRESURS, Ministry of Natural Resources, Federal Geodesy and Cartography Service, EMERCOM, etc. In addition to key tasks the spacecraft will enable scientific and applied researches in the Earth and atmosphere remote sensing.
The satellite was built by NPO VNII Elektromekhaniki, who subcontracted the avionics suite to SSTL.
The tasks to be fulfilled by BKA are:
A similar second satellite, BKA 2, is planned for 2023 to replace BKA 1. It might be of a different design.
Nation: | Belarus |
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Type / Application: | Earth Observation |
Operator: | National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Belarus |
Contractors: | NPP VNIIEM (prime); OAO Peleng (imager) |
Equipment: | PSS, MSS |
Configuration: | Kanopus bus |
Propulsion: | 2 × SPT-50 |
Power: | 2 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | 5 years |
Mass: | 473 kg |
Orbit: | 505 km × 508 km, 97.49° |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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BKA 1 (ex BelKa 2) | 2012-039B | 22.07.2012 | Ba LC-31/6 | Soyuz-FG Fregat | with Kanopus-V 1, Zond-PP, exactView 1, TET 1 | |
BKA 2 | - | 2023 | with ? |