Elektro-L Earth Images
Russia’s new Elektro-L weather satellite has recently announced its presence by returning some truly stunning high-resolution whole-Earth images. Launched in January this year, Elektro-L is parked in a geostationary orbit above the Indian Ocean, where it will monitor both oceanic conditions and local space weather, and will be used for both global and local weather forecasts.
Elektro-L is noteworthy in that it is the first spacecraft that Russia has conceived, designed, built and launched since the fall of the Soviet Union, and should be a source of national pride.
Urban Astronomer sends his congratulations to the Rokosmos (the Russian Space Agency). The more entities pursuing active space programs, whether private, corporate or government, and whether scientific or commercial in nature, the better!
