ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow Region. Aug 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Engineers of the Omsk-based Polyot Federal State-run Unitary Enterprise have developed a small satellite, the Nadezhda-M, to spot ships and aircraft in distress.
"Nadezhda-M is a modification of the Nadezhda (Hope) search and rescue vehicle. Its functions are more diverse," a Polyot official told Interfax at the MAKS-2003 international air show on Thursday.
"The Nadezhda-M is the main component of the Kospas-Sarsat search and rescue system for spotting areas where ships and aircraft are located and also for tracking down ships and aircraft," he said.
The satellite weighs 160 kilograms and has a service life of five years in orbit, much longer than its predecessor.
Polyot is a major Russian developer and manufacturer of aerospace hardware. It develops and manufactures Kospas-Sarsat satellites and navigation and communication systems. It also manufactures Kosmos booster rockets.