Own satellites, drones to keep an eye on the Arctic
It is necessary to increase the number of sources of information that will improve the accuracy of ice forecasts to further develop year-round safe shipping through the Northern Sea Route, primarily east-bound voyages. Recently, this task has become more complicated due to Russia's restrictions in obtaining data from foreign satellites. Maxim Kulinko, Deputy Head of the Rosatom’s Directorate of the Northern Sea Route told in an interview with IAA PortNews IAA how the challenging task is being solved.
– Mr. Kulinko, how are ship owners getting information for operations in the Arctic now?
– At this stage, there is no single centralized system for obtaining and distributing information necessary for navigation in high latitudes. But in one way or another, various departments, enterprises and companies have separate data for navigation, but the sources are quite scattered.
Currently, shipping companies have to map out the route on their own using both paid information, buying radar images from sattelites, and free data. For example, scientists from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) develop long-term ice forecasts for the Arctic seas along the Northern Sea Route, which are published on the GlavSevmorput website.
At the moment, part of the satellite data required by Russian customers is obtained from foreign sources. Therefore, a domestic satellite constellation of radar sounding of the Earth is urgently needed.
Roskosmos launched the first civilian radar satellite Kondor-FKA into orbit at the end of May 2023. The satellite will carry out space radar imaging of the earth's surface, including the waters of the Northern Sea Route, and provide high-resolution radar images of the earth's surface around the clock and in any weather conditions.
Colleagues from Roscosmos say it will take four to five months to put the satellite into operation. We hope that after the completion of the necessary technological procedures (degassing, telemetry, etc.), the spacecraft will be commissioned into regular service and will provide radar images of the quality required for our work.
– That is, by the end of the year, Russia will have the technical capability of providing the Arctic with “eyes”. Who will obtain these images and how often should they be updated?
– In line with the Roscosmos official position, they are ready to transfer the necessary images to Rosatom and its subordinate enterprises. As for the frequency of obtaining this information, taking into account the organization of year-round navigation via the NSR shipping lane, I would like to see the entire NSR at least once a day with good quality, so that it would be possible to track ice drift and lay routes. So far, we see the algorithm of work as follows: we receive a picture from the Kondor, then we decipher it, superimpose additional layers of the necessary information in our digital center, which is being created.
– How will shipowners get access to this information?
– In 2024, we will launch a single digital platform for the NSR, which we are currently developing. It seems to me that it would be right if information on the NSR based on these digital services came from one source, from Rosatom. After all, it is Rosatom that is responsible for the safety of navigation.
Therefore, we are doing everything to fully ensure the state function for the safety of shipping.
Obtaining reliable and up-to-date information from one source is undoubtedly a convenient and useful service, which should be available to some extent for shipping companies operating in the NSR basin.
– Do you have a vision at this stage of how the data received from the satellite will be processed within the framework of the digital platform being developed?
– We are beginning to verify these data. Let me explain. We took satellite images and entered this data into a digital platform for their interpretation. We determined where are the ice, water, ice edge, etc. That is, in an automated mode, the computer completed this job with more than 95% accuracy. This is a good result. Moreover, when reconciling the data in real conditions, the ship master highly appreciated the quality of our computer-aided forecast. Now the digital system is being finalized. We must complete its development by the beginning of 2024.
– Will the digital platform be focused on working exclusively with the Kondor satellite?
– No. The necessary data from various satellites and other data sources will be loaded into the platform. The system will automatically issue fully verified information, a photograph or a map. Moreover, layers will be superimposed on it: especially dangerous phenomena, the best recommended routes and other information necessary for the master. That is, ideally, we want to ensure that, having received digital data from the satellite after automated digitization, the computer would see each pixel not as a picture, but as a set of digital data that is recognized by it after mathematical processing (here is ice, there is water, etc.) to plot a route, taking into account, among other things, the water depths.
That is, the digital platform is created on the principle of a familiar car navigator. If the master, for example, deviates from the route, the system will automatically readjust and show other options.
– How many satellites do you need to have in order to provide the NSR with the necessary imagery?
– According to the calculations of Roscosmos, three satellites will be enough. According to the plans of Roscosmos, another Obzor radar observation satellite will be launched before the end of this year. They accurately name the launch date: the end of 2023 - the beginning of 2024. Another Kondor satellite is scheduled to be launched into orbit next year. In accordance with the plans of Roscosmos, the mentioned spacecraft will monitor the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, including the Norther Sea Route basin.
– Creation of a digital platform, satellite information coverage is a rather expensive undertaking. Will this lead to an increase in the cost of shipowners' operations on the NSR?
– It will depend on how this information will be distributed. Thanks to the government, which earmarked funds in the budget to finance the capital costs of creating a digital platform.
But in any case, in the future, to accumulate data and support this system, some expenses will be required, which we are now being calculated. In particular, Rosatom Corporation receives various proposals from companies for processing satellite images. On average, they want to receive RUB 6-7 billion a year. This is huge money. It is unlikely that a corporation can provide such money and then distribute information to everyone for free.
– Are there additional technical and technological solutions to solve the issues of safe navigation along the NSR?
– Rosatom is working with manufacturers to create an unmanned aerial system. Pilot tests of such a complex with a full load were carried out this spring at the Rybinsk Reservoir. The complex includes a drone equipped with a radar, a video camera and a communication system that can transmit a picture to the operator's console in real time from a distance of up to 200 km. The operator's console consists of three computers: one pilots by points, the second receives an image from the locator, while geotagging takes place on the third computer. That is, in fact, we see the decoded radar image on the GIS.
The second stage of field testing was completed at the end of June now in arctic conditions on board of a drifting nuclear-powered icebreaker. During the tests, the operation of the side-scan radar station and the software for synthesizing and auto-focusing radar images on a UAV, location-based tagging of images, transmission of radar images of ice conditions to the operator’s workplace and display on the geoinformation server were tested.
It is planned to introduce a system of fully automated landing on the deck without the participation of an operator at the next stage. After that repeated tests will be carried out in a natural environment with landing on the heaving deck of an icebreaker.
Rosatom plans to invest up to RUB 300 million next year, in the purchase of such complexes. It is planned to acquire a coastal complex and deploy it on the coast of the Gulf of Ob for permanent arial inspection to get a current picture of the sea channel.
It is also planned to purchase a deck-based drone, which, as previously seen, will be based on an icebreaker. This will allow the master to conduct tactical ice reconnaissance within a radius of up to 200 km. In the future, we want every icebreaker to have such a drone. Upon the completion of these tests and entering a contract, the final cost of this complex will be clear. In general, this is a middle class drone with a wingspan of four meters. For vertical takeoff and landing, the drone has four electric propellers, there is also a main gasoline engine that turns on in flight.
We think, some modification of these complexes will be required in the future, and repairs during their operation in the severe conditions of the Arctic. Rosatom is now considering the creation of its own maintenance service centre. This will enable Rosatom to maintain these purchased complexes, upgrade and, perhaps, produce them. There are options being considered for arrangement of training operators in Moscow to work with such complexes.
