Aerospace: Russia to launch space research project to monitor polar regions

RIA Novosti reports Russia's Lavochkin research and production association said on Tuesday it would start implementing a space research project to monitor the Earth's polar regions in 2010.

The project, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, envisions using a new satellite cluster, called "Arktika," to provide environmental monitoring data for accurate weather forecasts and to aid national socio-economic development.

"A mid-January meeting of the military-industrial committee under the Russian government decided to launch the Arktika project in 2010," said Vladimir Yefanov, deputy general director of the Lavochkin association.

"The concept of the Arktika satellite cluster has been developed and submitted to the Russian government for consideration," he added.

The cost of the project is estimated at 30 billion rubles ($1.23 billion).