Russian scientists have proposed placing a group of small satellites in Earth's orbit to study and develop technologies to intercept potentially dangerous asteroids; they plan to launch the vehicles on the Dnepr rocket (a conversion version of the Voevoda strategic launch vehicle, which is called Satan according to Western classification).
Tell about the development of the employees of the corporation "Rosobschemash", the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (GEOKHI RAS), the Center for Planetary Protection, the RAS working group "Risk and Safety", the enterprise "Glavkosmos launch services" and the Russian Federal Nuclear Center - All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics named after Zababakhin (RFNC-VNIITF) is scheduled for the 2019 Royal Readings in Moscow.
As follows from the document, at the same time, it will be possible to start working out satellites for detection, reconnaissance and interception of potentially dangerous asteroids. These will be observer, reconnaissance and interceptor spacecraft. The operational response echelon of the planetary defense system is planned to be called "Citadel-1".
Scientists note that about 150 asteroids fly by in the Earth's sphere of gravity every year.