Russia intends to spend billions of rubles to build constellation of satellites to monitor the Arcti

 According to Russian media reports, the Russian Federal Space Agency will spend billions of rubles in the Arctic over the building dedicated to monitoring the satellite constellation, the first phase of the project planned to be completed in 2015 .
Russian "Izvestia" reported on the 17th, Russias Federal Space Agency, with the well-known Russian aerospace enterprises La Woqi gold research and production association recently signed a contract worth 5.3 billion rubles (about $ 170 million), by the companies responsible for the development of the Arctic "the first components of the multi-functional space systems -" Arctic-M hydro-meteorological and climate monitoring system. The system consists of two satellites in highly elliptical orbit, the available ice situation monitoring, telecommunications and television services.
In addition to the "North Pole-M", "Arctic" multifunctional space system components include two satellites Arctic-R "ice conditions and ecological monitoring system and four satellites" Arctic-the MS mobile communications and TV broadcasting system. The Russian Space Agency has entered into a collaboration to produce two sets of components matters and corporate development work is expected to begin in 2015.
Russia experts questioned the authorities waste of money to monitor the Arctic. Ivan Moiseyev, research director of the Russian Space Policy Institute, said in an interview with Russian media, over in the polar set of specialized monitoring systems are in fact not necessary, because all of Earth remote sensing satellites have been polar. If you really need to monitor the Arctic can be customized information to existing equipment. In his view, the decision of the Russian Space Agency obvious political overtones, may exacerbate the contention of Arctic resources.