On July 25, 2025, the Russian CubeSat Geoscan-2 was launched into orbit aboard a Soyuz-2.1b rocket with a Fregat upper stage. The satellite is equipped with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver, designed to capture aircraft positions, speeds, and heading information. By August, Geoscan-2 began operational data collection, becoming the first Russian CubeSat capable of monitoring global air traffic.
Since reaching orbit, the satellite has continuously collected and transmitted flight data. Test results demonstrate that the Geoscan-2 receiver efficiently detects manned aircraft signals across a wide altitude range—from as low as 250 ft to the upper limit of 43,000 ft. The onboard receiver regularly captures several hundred messages per orbit and relays them to ground stations for analysis.
On October 10, 2025, over four orbits, the satellite processed 2,203 messages from 114 aircraft across 32 countries. Most transmissions were recorded over Central Africa, Eastern Australia, and the Pacific Ocean. The highest recorded aircraft speed reached 690 mph. The table below summarizes message distribution by region:
| Region | Messages | Average Altitude, ft | Maximum Speed, mph | Number of Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Africa | 780 | 31,200 | 690 | 45 |
| Eastern Australia | 650 | 36,700 | 610 | 36 |
| Pacific Ocean | 550 | 33,800 | 652 | 28 |
| Other Regions | 223 | 25,600 | 572 | 5 |
| Total | 2,203 | 33,500 | 690 | 114 |
Initial activation confirmed the ADS-B receiver’s efficiency on a small satellite platform. Unlike larger satellites or ground-based systems, Geoscan-2 operates without precise orientation and delivers high-quality data under resource-constrained conditions. This capability enables deployment in regions lacking ground infrastructure and extends monitoring to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Planned developments include targeted tracking of individual aircraft, data filtering for onboard processing optimization, and experimental real-time ADS-B signal relay. Alexander Khokhlov, Head of CubeSat Projects at Geoscan, stated that these enhancements will scale the technology and integrate it with existing air traffic management systems.
The Geoscan-2 mission confirms the potential of small satellites for global air traffic monitoring. The CubeSat lays the groundwork for expanded space-based communication and Earth observation services, providing timely data even in regions without ground infrastructure.
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