Roscosmos Justified the Decision to Reject Satellite Consortiums
**Roscosmos Suspends Production of Satellite Constellations 'Marathon-IoT' and 'Scythian'**
Roscosmos, the Russian state space corporation, has announced the suspension of the production of the satellite constellations **Marathon-IoT** and **Scythian**. The decision comes as a result of strategic and operational reconsiderations within the national space program.
According to Dmitry Bakhanov, head of Roscosmos, the high costs and prioritization of other critical space projects, as well as technological and integration challenges, have led to the suspension of these projects. The decision was also influenced by a reassessment of the relevance and feasibility of these constellations in the context of evolving market demands and geopolitical factors.
The **Marathon-IoT** constellation was designed as a low Earth orbit (LEO) system focused on Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. Its intended use cases include enabling widespread, reliable, and low-latency IoT data transmission for industries such as agriculture, transportation, utilities, and environmental monitoring across Russia and potentially global coverage. The goal was to establish a national satellite network to support the growing demand for connected devices, especially in remote and underserved areas.
On the other hand, **Scythian** was a broader satellite constellation aimed at expanding secure communications and Earth observation capabilities. It was intended to provide secure satellite communication channels, support military and civilian data transmission, enhance remote sensing operations, and facilitate improved geospatial intelligence. The goal was to strengthen Russia’s independent satellite infrastructure for communication resilience and strategic autonomy.
Initially, the projects planned to launch 264 "Marathon-IoT" satellites and 12 "Scythians" into orbit. However, in 2023, Roscosmos signed contracts with "Information Satellite Systems" named after academician Reshetnev for the production of the satellite constellations, but only found funds for half of the planned number of devices at the time.
Despite the suspension of these projects, Dmitry Bakhanov stated that bringing them back would not be a problem, and the program itself remains relevant. Roscosmos is currently in talks on constructing spaceports in Asian countries, indicating a continued focus on space exploration and development.
The new national space project, approved by Putin in mid-June, does not include the "Sphere" federal program being implemented by Roscosmos or the provision of satellite internet services to regular subscribers (as was the case with "Scythian"). By 2036, 4.4 trillion rubles are planned to be allocated to the new project, which includes eight directions, such as space nuclear power and scientific space.
- The suspension of the production of satellite constellations Marathon-IoT and Scythian by Roscosmos has raised questions about the future of finance and business investments in space-and-astronomy technology.
- The high costs and technical challenges associated with the Marathon-IoT and Scythian projects have been criticized as missed opportunities in the realm of science and technology, considering the potential benefits for various industries such as agriculture, transportation, and environmental monitoring.
- As Roscosmos continues to explore new partnerships in Asian countries for spaceport construction, investors may see this as a positive sign for the future of finance in the space industry and anticipate an increased focus on cutting-edge technologies like space nuclear power and scientific space missions.
