Samara students and graduate students are going to test the technology of creating a group of small satellites in orbit students and graduate students of Samara University. Korolev developed and tested in space a control technology for a swarm of Ficus-satellites - extremely small spacecraft. The picosatellites (the dimensions of each of them are 49x49x96 mm) will reach their orbit aboard a nanosatellite in CubeSat 3U format, which will transport its "passengers" to the desired location and release them there to float freely. "Pico-satellites will be launched into a relatively low orbit - about 400 km altitude. In low orbits there is a residual atmosphere, due to which the satellites gradually lose altitude. The drag force of the atmosphere depends on the "optimization" of the spacecraft, its cross-sectional area: the larger the area, the stronger the drag, we can control a stronger atmosphere. To change the speed and height of the satellite's orbit by changing its direction in space: the speed and the satellite's orbit depends on which side it is facing in the direction of flight. ", said Sergey Ivalev, the chief designer of the satellite group, a graduate student in the Department of Flight Dynamics and Control Systems at Samara Korolev University. The devices will be oriented according to a command from Earth using a miniature orientation system developed at the university (weighing 40 grams), equipped with four electric motors and a unit with magnetic coils. Calculations show that with the help of controlled braking, a group of eight pico-satellites can be optimally placed in orbit in about a week. The satellites released from the cubesat together must be placed in orbit at the same distance from each other, which will ensure operational monitoring of a given area or object on Earth: the satellites will take turns flying over the desired point, without keeping it out of sight.

Samara students and graduate students are going to test the technology of creating a group of small satellites in orbit students and graduate students of Samara University. Korolev developed and tested in space a control technology for a swarm of Ficus-satellites - extremely small spacecraft. The picosatellites (the dimensions of each of them are 49x49x96 mm) will reach their orbit aboard a nanosatellite in CubeSat 3U format, which will transport its "passengers" to the desired location and release them there to float freely. "Pico-satellites will be launched into a relatively low orbit - about 400 km altitude. In low orbits there is a residual atmosphere, due to which the satellites gradually lose altitude. The drag force of the atmosphere depends on the "optimization" of the spacecraft, its cross-sectional area: the larger the area, the stronger the drag, we can control a stronger atmosphere. To change the speed and height of the satellite's orbit by changing its direction in space: the speed and the satellite's orbit depends on which side it is facing in the direction of flight. ", said Sergey Ivalev, the chief designer of the satellite group, a graduate student in the Department of Flight Dynamics and Control Systems at Samara Korolev University. The devices will be oriented according to a command from Earth using a miniature orientation system developed at the university (weighing 40 grams), equipped with four electric motors and a unit with magnetic coils. Calculations show that with the help of controlled braking, a group of eight pico-satellites can be optimally placed in orbit in about a week. The satellites released from the cubesat together must be placed in orbit at the same distance from each other, which will ensure operational monitoring of a given area or object on Earth: the satellites will take turns flying over the desired point, without keeping it out of sight.