The science and technical conference on the 70th anniversary of founding the Research Institute of Precision Instruments (RIPI, part of the Russian Space Systems (RSS) holding of the Roscosmos State Corporation, Roscosmos) was held in RIPI. The conference was attended by the representatives of Roscosmos, RSS, and other enterprises of the Russian aerospace sector. The conference participants summed up the results of seven decades of work of our Institute, and also discussed its developmental perspectives in the contemporary situation.

Our Institute was founded in 1952 - that time it was known as the Research Institute-648 (RI-648) - and later it was extended and renamed to the Research Institute of Precision Instruments. Since its inception, the company's developments have been one of the most important elements for the execution of Soviet and Russian space programs. The control of the VOSTOK spacecraft flight was carried out through the command radio link, designed by the RI-648 specialists, which was an indication of high level of RI-648 specialists’ engineering skills and experience  and the reliability of the equipment.

A radio engineering system designed and manufactured at our Institute in 1967,  allowed the world's first automatic docking of spacecraft to be carried out. Due to these mutual measurement systems several generations of orbital stations were assembled in the Earth orbit, including the International Space Station (ISS), where the KURS-N system has been installed and now it provides approaching spacecraft to the ISS. Currently, RIPI is building a new mutual measurement system, specifically designed for installation aboard the OREL (EAGLE) advanced freight spacecraft.

At present, RIPI specializes in developing hardware and software assets for the Unified Geographically-Distributed ERS Information System (UGDERSIS), which provides government agencies, private companies and regular clients with high-resolution geospatial products.

A team of high-motivated researchers at RIPI is also working on building the advanced satellite communications systems (GONETS project); is developing a new-generation air- and spaceborne Earth observation radar systems. The ground-based testing of KASATKA-R spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR), designed for OBZOR-R new-generation all-weather Earth observation radar complex is being finalized. Also, the production of radio-electronic modules using modern technologies, one of which is the technology of Low–Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC), has been launched at our Institute.

Our company is celebrating the 70th anniversary with new ambitious plans, stipulated by global economic challenges. In this regard, the coordinated and coherent work for development and serial production of the unified spaceborne equipment are required from the RSS holding companies. RIPI has a special role of leading designer of spaceborne and ground-based systems related to providing information support and security.

 The application of domestic raw materials and supplies, the exclusion of inaccessible radio components from our developments and production of high-quality space equipment are the main trends in the development of instrument-making industry in Russia today. RSS holding and RIPI, as the leading manufacturer of the equipment for acquisition and processing data flows, obtained from the different types of satellites, are moving towards application of unified solutions for building space and ground-based complexes: from electronic component base to high-rate radio links, and others.

Viktor IVANOV, RIPI Director General, outlined the company’s plans:

- We have prepared a work program for our Institute until 2024, as well as plans for innovative development in the near and long terms. Unique competencies, strong scientific and technological potential and rich labor traditions will become an excellent basis for building the latest radio-engineering equipment and modern software systems corresponding to the highest requirements of the consumers. Our Institute possesses all necessary resources and receives support from the RSS holding to meet all the challenges it faces and reach a new level of development worthy of the company’s 70-year history."

JSC Russian Space Systems,
Press Service
Tel.: +7 (495) 673-92-29
press@spacecorp.ru