Russian American Observation Satellites (RAMOS)

The Russian American Observation Satellites (RAMOS) experiment is a joint Russian- American space research program using two satellites for simultaneous stereo-optical imaging to address common concerns in the areas of environmental monitoring and defense. RAMOS will consist of a two-satellite constellation and associated ground support stations operated by the respective countries. The American Observational Satellite (AOS) will carry imaging instrumentation operating in both the visible and infrared regions. The Russian Observational Satellite (ROS) will carry analogous Russian sensors. Both satellites will be launched into a high-inclination circular orbit at an altitude of approximately 525 km. One satellite will have station-keeping capabilities to maintain a desired and variable separation. The AOS will consist of a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) spacecraft bus and three sensor subsystems: a multi-spectral IR radiometer, visible push-broom scanner and a visible CCD camera. The bus will provide the functions of command and data handling, telemetry, data storage, state of health, and power. The attitude control system will include a global positioning receiver, star trackers and an inertial reference unit. Mission Operations Centers at Logan, Utah and Moscow, Russia will provide planning, scheduling, command packet development, command transmission, verification of execution, State-of-Health monitoring and down-link data collection. The operations centers will report to and implement feedback from the Joint Science Team