Subscribe with SteadyGrifon 1, ..., 4
Grifon 1 [NSU]
Grifon is a Russian earth observation constellation consisting of 6U CubeSat built by the Novosibirsk State University.
The Grifon system is intended for global monitoring of the Earths surface. The satellites are designed to observe natural and man-made phenomena, including wildfires, floods, mining activity, and transport flows. The system is planned to provide regular coverage of the territory of Russia and worldwide areas. Revisit times are specified as up to about 30 hours for the territory of Russia and about 38 hours for global coverage. The constellation is part of the federal Sfera program, which integrates multiple satellite systems for Earth remote sensing and communications.
The Grifon project was initiated by Roscosmos. Production of the satellites was announced on 6 August 2024. Novosibirsk State University began design, assembly, and testing activities for the spacecraft at facilities in Novosibirsk. The rector of the university, Mikhail Fedoruk, confirmed the start of these activities. The overall Grifon system is planned to consist of 136 satellites. Deployment of the full constellation is planned for the 20242026 period.
The satellites are classified as ultra-small spacecraft based on the CubeSat concept. Development, integration, and testing are carried out in Novosibirsk with the involvement of Novosibirsk State University, under the framework defined by Roscosmos. The satellites employ optical Earth observation payloads designed to achieve medium-resolution imaging suitable for wide-area monitoring. The Grifon satellites are designed to provide optical imagery with a ground resolution of approximately 2.5 meters per pixel. The constellation architecture relies on a large number of small satellites to achieve short revisit times and global coverage.
The first batch consists of four satellites. Grifon forms part of the broader Sfera program, which foresees the deployment of more than 600 satellites for remote sensing and telecommunications missions.
The first four Grifon satellites were originally expected to be launched by the end of 2024, but were delayed to the end of 2025.
| Nation: | Russia |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Earth Observation |
| Operator: | Roskosmos, Novosibirsk State University |
| Contractors: | Novosibirsk State University |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (6U) |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grifon 1 | 2025-313 | 28.12.2025 | Vo LC-1S | Soyuz-2-1b Fregat | with Aist-2T 1, 2, Marafon Exp., 1, Paya, Zafar 2, Kosar 1.5, Aist-ST, Lobachevsky, Zorky-2M VPE, 5, 7, Khors 5, Grifon 1, ..., 4, SITRO-AIS 57, ..., 65, SITRO-TD 3, 4, Politekh-Univers 6, Cholbon, QMR-KWT-2, Vladivostok 2, Scorpion, Luca 1, ANSAT 1, Argus-312, CSTP 3.1, DCS 1, Eya 2, Galapagos-UTE, Mokha 1, MorSat 1, Mule-4T, TriSat 1, ..., 4, NasbSat 1, 2, SCH-619, SM 3.1, VM 3.1 | |
| Grifon 2 | 2025-313 | 28.12.2025 | Vo LC-1S | Soyuz-2-1b Fregat | with Aist-2T 1, 2, Marafon Exp., 1, Paya, Zafar 2, Kosar 1.5, Aist-ST, Lobachevsky, Zorky-2M VPE, 5, 7, Khors 5, Grifon 1, ..., 4, SITRO-AIS 57, ..., 65, SITRO-TD 3, 4, Politekh-Univers 6, Cholbon, QMR-KWT-2, Vladivostok 2, Scorpion, Luca 1, ANSAT 1, Argus-312, CSTP 3.1, DCS 1, Eya 2, Galapagos-UTE, Mokha 1, MorSat 1, Mule-4T, TriSat 1, ..., 4, NasbSat 1, 2, SCH-619, SM 3.1, VM 3.1 | |
| Grifon 3 | 2025-313 | 28.12.2025 | Vo LC-1S | Soyuz-2-1b Fregat | with Aist-2T 1, 2, Marafon Exp., 1, Paya, Zafar 2, Kosar 1.5, Aist-ST, Lobachevsky, Zorky-2M VPE, 5, 7, Khors 5, Grifon 1, ..., 4, SITRO-AIS 57, ..., 65, SITRO-TD 3, 4, Politekh-Univers 6, Cholbon, QMR-KWT-2, Vladivostok 2, Scorpion, Luca 1, ANSAT 1, Argus-312, CSTP 3.1, DCS 1, Eya 2, Galapagos-UTE, Mokha 1, MorSat 1, Mule-4T, TriSat 1, ..., 4, NasbSat 1, 2, SCH-619, SM 3.1, VM 3.1 | |
| Grifon 4 | 2025-313 | 28.12.2025 | Vo LC-1S | Soyuz-2-1b Fregat | with Aist-2T 1, 2, Marafon Exp., 1, Paya, Zafar 2, Kosar 1.5, Aist-ST, Lobachevsky, Zorky-2M VPE, 5, 7, Khors 5, Grifon 1, ..., 4, SITRO-AIS 57, ..., 65, SITRO-TD 3, 4, Politekh-Univers 6, Cholbon, QMR-KWT-2, Vladivostok 2, Scorpion, Luca 1, ANSAT 1, Argus-312, CSTP 3.1, DCS 1, Eya 2, Galapagos-UTE, Mokha 1, MorSat 1, Mule-4T, TriSat 1, ..., 4, NasbSat 1, 2, SCH-619, SM 3.1, VM 3.1 |
Launch Sites:
- Vo = Vostochniy, Amurskaya Oblast', Russia
References:
- TADVISER: Griffin (Earth Global Monitoring System)
Communications:
- Ekspress TBD1, ..., TBD7
- Ekspress-RV 1, ..., 4
- Marafon 1, ..., 264
- Marafon-D
- Skif 1, ..., 12
- Skif-D (14F149)
- Yamal 501, 502
- Berkut-C 1, ..., 16
- Berkut-O 1, ..., 40
- Berkut-VD 1, ..., 28
- Berkut-X 1, ..., 12
- Grifon 1, ..., 4
- Smotr 1, ..., 6
