Sitronics Group, a subsidiary of Sistema JSFC Vladimir Yevtushenkov, acquired 76.01% of the private Russian space company Sputniks, according to data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. Sputniks is a Skolkovo resident and manufactures nano and micro satellites, space components and technologies.
Through the deal, Sistema’s subsidiary plans to enter the international small spacecraft market and “take a significant share of the Russian market”. Sitronics Group also plans to provide and develop digital services based on data from LEO satellites “for a wide range of customers,” the Sistema said in a statement. The parameters of the deal were not disclosed.
“The world market for nano- and microsatellites will grow rapidly in the next few years. The demand for services and services based on satellite data will only grow, and to a greater extent from commercial companies. We plan that the acquisition of Sputniks will allow us to enter the international small spacecraft market and occupy a significant share of the Russian market, ”the words of Alexei Katkov, chairman of the board of directors of Sitronics Group, managing partner of AFK Sistema, are quoted in the message.
According to Nikolai Pozhidaev, President of Sitronics Group, the deal will allow the development and implementation of geoanalytical and space monitoring systems for solving, for example, state tasks of climate change control: early detection of forest fires, illegal logging and assessment of the level of air pollution, as well as monitoring agricultural areas.
Sputniks was founded in 2011 on the basis of the satellite technologies department of ScanEx RDC. Since 2009, this department has been developing orientation and stabilization systems for the Chibis-M microsatellite by order of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 2013, Sputniks received a license from the Federal Space Agency to carry out space activities. In addition, Sputniks develops solutions for educational aerospace laboratories and aerospace education for schools and universities.
The last launch of spacecraft based on the Sputniks satellite platform took place on March 22 of this year from the Baikonur cosmodrome on a Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle. One of the satellites is designed for Earth remote sensing (ERS). It is equipped with a professional camera-telescope NPO Lepton with a resolution of several meters per pixel.
Sitronics Group was founded in 1997 in Zelenograd as Scientific Center Concern OJSC. In the consumer market, under the Sitronics brand, the concern produced consumer electronics. The Sitronics Group is currently developing and implementing comprehensive digital development strategies for government and business. Among the company’s developments are the “Smart City” hardware and software complex, intelligent transport and power systems, and electric charging stations. The partners of the Sitronics Group are the Ministry of Finance, the Moscow Mayor’s Office, MTS, MGTS, Rostelecom and others. Revenue for 2019 amounted to 9.6 billion rubles.
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