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- Irrigation instinct: bucket-sized satellite will save Russia trillions of liters of water
Irrigation instinct: bucket-sized satellite will save Russia trillions of liters of water
Mini satellites for monitoring agricultural land will be able to remotely determine which areas of the fields need watering, and where plants have enough moisture. To do this, they will calculate the vegetation indices of the vegetation cover. Such data will help farmers use water more efficiently and increase agricultural productivity. According to the developers, about 120 such satellites will be needed to monitor farmland in Russia. Each unit weighs 6 kg, and is comparable in size to a small bucket. However, for the practical application of the development, it is necessary to establish its industrial production and launch a full-fledged satellite constellation into orbit.
How do satellites measure vegetation indexes?
Students of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) are developing Russia's most compact satellites for remote sensing of the Earth. The devices, which are about the size of a 3.5-liter bucket and weigh about 6 kg, are designed to collect data that can be used in agriculture. The project is being implemented within the framework of the federal project of the Ministry of Education and Science "Personnel for Space".
Demonstration of a new satellite for agriculture in the laboratory building of MIPT
As the university told Izvestia, satellite data will help farmers and agricultural enterprises plan irrigation more accurately, taking into account weather conditions, and assess soil features and plant conditions.
— Precision farming, which uses digital technologies to increase yields, is actively developing all over the world. Satellite imagery in different spectral ranges allows you to calculate vegetation indices, which can be used to assess soil moisture, plant condition, and the need for fertilizers. Studies conducted for African countries have shown that if you water individual areas based on space measurements, you can use water about 30% more efficiently while achieving the same result," Natalia Zavyalova, head of the Laboratory for Modeling Mechanical Systems and Processes at MIPT, told Izvestia.
Vegetation indexes are mathematical indicators that reflect the condition, density, and health of vegetation cover. They are calculated based on data from remote sensing of the Earth (satellite images or drone footage), which record how plants absorb and reflect sunlight in different spectral ranges, most often in the red and near infrared.
According to the team's calculations, the use of new miniature satellites will save up to 2 billion cubic meters of water per year (about 2 trillion liters). At the same time, the production technology of the devices does not require rare materials and is relatively cheap. As Natalia Zavyalova explained, in low orbits, where the radiation level is not too high, industrial components similar to those used in conventional computers and phones can be used. This will reduce costs and reduce the size of the satellites.
— Now in Russia, spacecraft are quite large. A classic Earth remote sensing satellite with characteristics close to those we are focusing on weighs about 500 kg. Private companies are trying to create devices much smaller, but our solution is about four times more compact," she said.
According to scientists, about 120 such spacecraft will be required for full-fledged monitoring of farmland and significant savings in water resources.
Digital stabilization of satellite photography
Despite the reduction in the size of the satellite, the developers strive to maintain the quality of shooting and other important characteristics of the device. Before assembly, the students, under the guidance of researchers, created a digital model of it. They used it to check various operating modes, including power consumption, heating, and other parameters. This made it possible to optimize the internal design and transfer some of the functions from the hardware to the software level.
MIPT specialists have now assembled a mock-up satellite. A working prototype is planned to be prepared in December, and the first launch will take place in the second half of 2027.
The CAN bus emulator in the MIPT laboratory building
In addition to agriculture, compact devices are intended to be used for emergency monitoring. Satellite data will help track fires, floods, landslides, avalanches, and other natural hazards.
— The concept of miniature satellites for agriculture is already known on the world market. Foreign studies confirm the prospects of small spacecraft designed to reduce the cost and accelerate space research. Such satellites will be in demand by Russian agribusiness. The success of the MIPT project will largely depend on how quickly it will be possible to deploy a full—fledged grouping of 120 devices," Rashid Kurbanov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, head of the Information Technology laboratory for Digital Agriculture, chief researcher at the Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM, told Izvestia.
According to a scientific review published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, irrigation accounts for about 70% of the world's freshwater intake. Thus, agriculture is the largest consumer of water on the planet, and in arid regions, its shortage has long been one of the main constraints on yields, said Nikita Rumyantsev, founder and CEO of SkyFarm Ecosystem. According to him, each cubic meter of water saved can reduce both household costs and the load on water sources.
— According to preliminary estimates, the introduction of such systems will reduce water consumption for irrigation by up to 30% without crop loss. However, it is important to understand that space data needs to be supplemented with ground—based measurements," the expert emphasized.
Alexey Bychkov, a researcher at MIPT, demonstrates a cabinet stand for thermal testing in the MIPT laboratory building.
The development of MIPT looks promising, but so far we are talking only about a prototype. Flight tests will show the real capabilities of the device, said Artem Bogatyrev, market expert at NTI Aeronet. According to him, the ground infrastructure will play a key role in the next stage: in order for the data to reach specific farms, they will need processing services and digital tools that farmers can understand.
— The very concept of the project corresponds to the global trend. Small satellites based on mass-produced electronics are cheaper to produce and launch, so they can be launched into orbit in whole groups. This is especially important for agriculture: farmers need fresh data on the condition of fields every few days, whereas a single high-resolution snapshot provides much less information. Only a grouping of dozens of cameras can provide such a frequency of shooting. At the same time, the ultra-compact format has natural limitations on the detail of images and the duration of work in orbit. Therefore, such satellites are likely to complement large Earth remote sensing devices, rather than replace them," he noted.
According to Artem Bogatyrev, the importance of such projects for the market lies primarily in the fact that Russia is accumulating experience in mass production of small satellites and a new generation of engineers is being formed who will later be able to work in space companies.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
