UNN joins the consortium for space monitoring
On April 23, during the Geoscan Technologies conference, leading Russian universities and the Geoscan company announced the establishment of a research and educational consortium to implement the "Agroecology. Satellite monitoring of the state of forests and agricultural crops" space experiment. The experiment will use the small Lobachevsky spacecraft in the CubeSat 16U format, which is part of the Space-π project of the Innovation Promotion Foundation.
The agreement was signed by Lobachevsky University, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University, Nizhny Novgorod State Agrotechnological University, Oryol State Agrarian University, Kuban State Agrarian University, State University of Land Management, Samara National Research University, St. Petersburg State Agrarian University, as well as the Geoscan company.
The project aims to collect satellite spectral data through remote sensing of the Earth to monitor the condition of agricultural crops and forest resources. The experiment will involve the use of a hyperspectral short-wave infrared camera and multispectral instruments, enabling the acquisition of highly accurate data on the state of vegetation and soils.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of technologies for processing satellite data, including the application of artificial intelligence, as well as building a scientific and educational base in the field of analysing satellite imagery and spatial data.
The project’s implementation will enhance the effectiveness of monitoring natural and agricultural territories, increase the application of space technologies in the agro-industrial sector, and open up new opportunities for scientific research and the training of professionals.
The consortium has an open structure and can be expanded in the future by including new research and educational organisations that are interested in advancing Earth remote sensing technologies and utilising satellite data.
"The consortium brings together strong scientific expertise and cutting-edge engineering solutions within a single space mission. Today, thanks to projects like Space-π, small satellites are becoming a readily available and efficient tool for applied research — spanning from education to agroecology and natural resource monitoring. I am confident that this experiment will serve as a compelling example of how collaboration between universities and tech companies accelerates the integration of space technologies into the economy," said Alexey Yuretsky, CEO of Geoscan.
The Lobachevsky satellite developed by UNN was placed into orbit on December 28, 2025. Its purpose is to conduct agroecological research across various regions of Russia. The project is being implemented as part of the Space-π educational programme of the Innovation Promotion Foundation, with the support of the Nizhny Novgorod Research and Education Centre. The satellite is equipped with two cameras: a multispectral camera produced by NPO Lepton JSC and a hyperspectral camera developed at Samara University. The spectral data will be processed using a hardware and software complex created at Lobachevsky University, enabling the assessment of vegetation conditions in forests and agricultural areas.
