Lobachevsky satellite successfully deploys solar panels

Following the completion of the orientation and stabilisation system check on the Lobachevsky satellite, its solar panels were deployed.

The orientation and stabilisation system is crucial for precise positioning of the spacecraft, which is essential for carrying out Earth remote sensing tasks. The inspection is conducted in several stages: experts verify the functionality of the magnetometer, solar and stellar sensors, gyroscopes, as well as control components — flywheels and magnetic coils.

Then, the coordinate systems of the sensors are converted into the satellite's coordinate system, and the parameters of the orientation determination algorithm are refined. Once the algorithm is configured, the control elements are activated to check the active control.

The final stage is visual inspection: the satellite is directed to a selected point on the Earth's surface, and the onboard Cyclops camera takes pictures of the designated area at one-minute intervals. This allows the actual orientation of the satellite to be compared with the orientation set by the control algorithms.

After checking the software of the orientation and stabilisation system, the solar panels were deployed. One of them features the UNN logo on its reverse, non-operational side.

The next phase of the satellite's operation involves testing and fine-tuning the payload devices.