Amur State University (Russia) announced that it is preparing to launch its third student-developed satellite, which is expected to be placed into orbit by the end of the year. The satellite will be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome as part of the 'Unisat' program under Roscosmos, dedicated to launching small CubeSats. The new satellite is equipped with the 'Meridian-Amur' device, designed to monitor the pollution of satellite surfaces due to the accumulation of volatile films that affect the performance of optical components. This device will make it possible to identify the materials most affected by the space environment, and this technology is planned to be used in a future Russian-Belarusian satellite project. The satellite is also equipped with a pulsed plasma thruster developed by the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), which will help correct its orientation, extend its operational life, or de-orbit it to burn up in the atmosphere, thus preventing it from becoming space debris. Previously, students from the university have developed and launched two CubeSats to test technologies for monitoring space and its effects on space electronics.
