Monitor-E

Monitor-E is a low-orbiting experimental spacecraft based on a new multi-purpose space platform and featuring new earth surface imagers. It is the prototype of more specialized Monitor Earth observation satellites. It has a set of remote sensing devices. They are intended to make maps of the Earth's surface to be used for ecological monitoring and charting geological features. It was built by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. The satellite suffered a communication glitch shotly after launch, but communication with the satellite was restored shortly after. Contact with the satellite was again lost 18. October 2005, but later reinstated. Then the satellite entered nominal operations.