Russian engineers are constructing the ReshuKub-4 spacecraft to test an engine powered by green fuel, state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.
Dmitry Zuev, deputy head of the Small Spacecraft Research and Production Laboratory and leader of the project, said developers have manufactured a full-scale mass and size mockup of the satellite to allow specialists to conduct preliminary docking tests.
Zuev said team members at the laboratory completed a trial placement of the engine inside the housing of the small spacecraft. The mockup was then delivered to colleagues at the Keldysh Research Center to carry out joint testing on site.
Following the completion of ground testing, project teams plan to begin assembling the final flight model of the spacecraft before preparing the unit for launch into space.
Satellite propulsion tests
Zuev noted that the primary objective of the project is to construct a satellite specifically designed for testing engines that run on environmentally friendly fuel.
Equipping small spacecraft with propulsion units is a critical task for modern orbital missions, Zuev said. Engine systems enable small satellites to maintain their designated positions in orbit, prevent them from falling out of orbit prematurely, and allow them to maneuver into specific target orbits when required.
Small satellites operating in low Earth orbit frequently experience gradual decay due to atmospheric drag. Without onboard thrusters or propulsion systems, these compact craft gradually lose altitude and re-enter the Earth atmosphere, ending their operational lifespan earlier than planned.
Russian space technology developments
The development of the ReshuKub-4 satellite aligns with several recent Russian aerospace initiatives focused on expanding small spacecraft capabilities. News agency TASS previously reported that the Moscow Aviation Institute had created an electric rocket propulsion system designed to increase the operating lifespans of small satellites.
In October, state space corporation Roscosmos reported that satellite manufacturing enterprise Reshetnev and the Moscow Aviation Institute had developed a functional simulator for electric rocket engines.
The Keldysh Research Center, based in Moscow, is Russia's primary research institute specializing in rocket engine development and space power engineering under Roscosmos. The Moscow Aviation Institute operates as a major public research university dedicated to aerospace engineering and satellite hardware development.
