Overview
Meteor-M №2-4 is a Russian meteorological satellite which is part of the Meteor-M No.2 series of satellites that are designed to replace the old Meteor-3M series of satellites. The missions' primary tasks include environmental monitoring, surveillance of solar activity near the Earth, studying the interactions of the ocean and atmosphere, and exploring Earth's geology. The satellite also features a COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue system. It was successfully launched on 29 February 2024 on a Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
| Mission type | Meteorological Satellite |
|---|---|
| Operator | Roscosmos |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Meteor-M No.2 |
| Manufacturer | Roscosmos |
| Launch mass | 2,900kg |
| Dry mass | 2,700kg |
| Power | 2000 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Feb 29, 2024, 05:43:26 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M |
| Launch site | Site 1S, Vostochny Cosmodrome |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | Sun-Synchronous Orbit |
| Altitude | 820.7km |
Meteor-M №2-4 (alternatively, Meteor-M number 2-4) is a Russian meteorological satellite which is part of the Meteor-M No.2 series of satellites that are designed to replace the old Meteor-3M series of satellites. The missions' primary tasks include environmental monitoring, surveillance of solar activity near the Earth, studying the interactions of the ocean and atmosphere, and exploring Earth's geology.[1][2][3] The satellite also features a COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue system.[4][5] It was successfully launched on 29 February 2024 on a Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.[6]
Instruments
| Name[4] | Details[7] |
|---|---|
| IFKS-2 | Advanced IR sounder |
| KMSS | Multi-channel scanning unit |
| MSU-MR | Low-resolution multispectral scanner |
| MTVZA-GR | Imager/sounder for atmospheric study |
| SSPD | Data collection and transmission system. |
| IKOR-M | Broadband radiometer sensing outgoing shortwave signals. |
| GGAK-M/RIMS-M | Mass spectrometer to study the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. |
| GGAK-E/SKIF-6 | Spectrometer to detect corpuscular radiation and solar radiation. |
| GGAK-E/GALS-E | Cosmic rays detector to study corpuscular radiation arriving at Earth. |
| MeteoSAR | Synthetic aperture X-band radar to study the weather. |
Relevance for amateur radio hobbyists
The satellite continuously transmits sensor data and images of the Earth. Some of these transmissions are unencrypted and can be received using inexpensive equipment. Amateur radio operators and other radio hobbyists regularly receive pictures of the Earth transmitted using Low-rate picture transmission at 137.9 MHz or High-resolution picture transmission at 1705 MHz.[8]
Received data packets can be decoded using Free software, such as SatDump,[9]
References
- ↑ Volosín, Juan I. Morales; Kiseleva, Mariia (2024-02-24). "Meteor-M 2-4 And Others | Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat". Everyday Astronaut. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ "Meteor-M no.2-4 / WAI Hub". www.whataboutit.space. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ Трансляция запуска космического аппарата "Метеор-М" № 2-4, retrieved 2024-02-29
- 1 2 Carl (2024-02-27). "Meteor M 2-4 Launch Status". USRadioguy.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ "WMO OSCAR | Satellite: Meteor-M N2-4". tools.wmo.int. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ "Спутник "Метеор-М" запустят на орбиту 29 февраля, сообщил источник" [The Meteor-M satellite will be launched into orbit on February 29, source says]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ↑ Volosín, Juan I. Morales (2024-02-24). "Meteor-M 2-4 And Others | Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat". Everyday Astronaut. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ↑ "WMO OSCAR | Satellite: Meteor-M N2-4". space.oscar.wmo.int. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ "SatDump". SatDump. Retrieved 2026-08-02.